Pedri remains dissatisfied with himself despite Barca’s thrilling victory

Barcelona overturned a 0-2 deficit to defeat Levante 3-2 in La Liga’s second round. Yet, post-match, Pedri drew attention by acknowledging his own errors and voicing criticism of a disputed referee call.

Barcelona started the game unfocused and sluggish for most of the first half, allowing Levante to take a two-goal lead. After the match, Pedri openly accepted that he partly caused the second goal conceded.

Pedri stated: “I believe their second goal was my fault because I engaged in the challenge without enough decisiveness. I should have stopped that attack or regained possession.”

The Spanish midfielder later redeemed himself by scoring a beautiful long-range shot, sparking Barcelona’s spectacular comeback. This goal became the catalyst for Hansi Flick’s team to explode in the second half and secure the 3-2 win.

Pedri also revealed an important halftime speech from Hansi Flick that helped Barca change the game’s momentum: “He urged us to be more focused on marking our opponents, play faster and move the ball quickly to find spaces between the lines. Facing a low-block defense is never easy, but the whole team transformed in the second half.”

Besides admitting fault, Pedri also expressed dissatisfaction with the referee’s penalty decision during the match, arguing that the handball rule is unclear and inconsistently applied.

Pedri said: “Honestly, I don’t understand the handball rule. The federation just explained it to us. For example, Tchouaméni’s situation last season at Montjuïc, to me that was a clear foul. However, today’s incident was not, yet they still awarded a penalty.”

Despite difficulties and controversies, the victory over Levante helps Barcelona maintain confidence in the title race. It also showcases the fighting spirit of the Catalan club under Hansi Flick, especially as they never gave up despite trailing by two goals.