Barcelona’s Pedri and the passports showing why he is different

On By Littum

Barcelona really likes to play Valencia. For the second time in so many weeks, they swept them aside last night, and this victory booked somewhere in the Copa del Rey semi -finals.

They followed the 7-1 win in La Liga on January 26 with a 5-0 away on Mestalla and it could have been more lop-sided than that. Ferran Torres tore his boy club apart with a hat trick in the first half as Barca drove into a 4-0 lead after half an hour. Fermin Lopez got the most out of getting a new start with a goal, and Frenkie de Jong showed another compelling version of herself as a holder midfielder. Lamine Yamal’s strike in the second half felt like a reflection.

But we have to talk about Pedri.

22-year-old passports Second and Third Goals will live long in memory-to deliveries of genius.

Torres scored Barcelona’s and his second of the game in 17 minutes and capitalized on a loose ball inside the box after a shot of Yamal hit the post, but the original chaos was detached by Barca’s No. 8.

Pedri received the ball from Pau Cubarsi to the left of the midfield, quite deep. Valencia players let him turn, and his position was apparently harmless … until the midfielder did his thing and drew a trick: an external passport that broke two urgent lines and sent Raphinha on a path to goal.

Valencia did not learn their lesson, and in the third goal six minutes later Pedri was appropriate for the Super Bowl Week, as an NFL -Quarterback in disguise.

This time he received the ball from Cubarsi in the same deep midfield area again and had to turn around again. After a quick look at scanning the track, he discovered Fermin, served as a roaming # 10, making a race in the back of the defense.

Pedri’s Dinked Pass let Fermin dribbles past goalkeeper chairs Dimitrievski and make it 3-0 after 23 minutes. It was enough for some Valencia fans to get up and leave: game over.

His passport in the structure of Torres’ Hat-Trick-Barca’s fourth at half-hour — not bad either …

Pedri was subbed off after 64 minutes, after registering 81 touches, the assist, 60 completed passports from 65 attempts, nine earth duels won out of 10, three interceptions and five tackles.

Barcelona has the top goal scoring forward line among the five European leagues in Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Yamal. But no one sets the pace, orchestrates and measures the brilliance of Hansi Flick’s team more than Pedri, who signed a contract extension until 2030 last week.

“I don’t want to compare him with other footballers I have managed, but he is incredible,” Flick said at his press conference after the match. “In this position he is one of the best in the world. In every position he is on the field, he just wants the ball – even under pressure. I’m very happy Pedri is here to stay for a long time. “

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At the start of the season, Spain was International’s career on a crossroads.

He had just won the European Championship with the National Battle, but was wounded in the quarterfinals against Germany and missed the semi -finals and the final. The dark clouds in the previous three seasons at Barca, defined by constant muscle problems that saw him miss a combined 85 game, threatened again.

There was doubt about his long-term reliability, but the club’s sports director department, led by Deco, declared him a pristine member of the team and talking about a contract extension had begun.

Barcelona requested extensive analysis of his muscle fibers to get to the bottom of his injury record whose results indicated that Pedri needed to undergo more strength work in the gym. This has been a highest priority for the club’s newly mounted fitness team, led by physiotherapist Julio Tous.

A lot of credit must also be given for flick. Barcelona’s new manager has detached the best version of Pedri, which operates in a new deeper position than the No. 10 role that former coach Xavi wanted him to play.

By 2023, after scoring in a 4-1 win against, yes, Valencia, Xavi said Pedri needed to add more goals to his game.

“We demand that Pedri do these things on the field,” Xavi said. “He shoots really well and he can also take a free kick. He is still very young and may be a little shy sometimes, but the skill set he has … is not for everyone. He is not a normal player. His talent is superlative, there are a few like Pedri. “

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After a victory against Villarreal, Xavi highlighted how he wanted Pedri to operate in the last third: “That’s his natural position. He had many situations where he could attack the opponent’s defense and make the last passport. “

Flick wants Pedri to get on the ball as much as possible, be a free spirit and roam around the areas of the field where he feels he is most needed.

Pedri is the tranquility of the storm of the Germans 2024-25 Barcelona; The ‘Pausa’ team requires as they move too fast and the best version of themselves – a player who has to be back in every discussion about the best midfielders in Europe.

(Top Photo: Getty Images)