Barcelona: One Pedri, one shot, a different Barca!

LV Hansi Flick is truly lucky to have players who have dramatically developed in recent years, ready to become new idols and leaders in global football.

They are gifted, possess skills that amaze opponents, and earn admiration from fans. They show respect to both the public and their adversaries. They rarely complain, play with honor, sharpness, and an unrelenting hunger for victory.

While Lamine Yamal stands out brilliantly as a strong candidate for the 2025 Ballon d'Or, Pedri is extremely refined and modest. They are genuinely important to the Catalan team. Last weekend, the midfielder from the Canary Islands became the hero of the reigning champions by starting the comeback against Levante with a perfect long-distance shot, which technology calculated had only a 1.4% chance of resulting in a goal.

At 23, number 8 shows he still has a great deal of untapped potential at the top level. Just like in the match against Levante, where he demonstrated even more: greater confidence in his abilities, determination to be the best, inspiring teammates, not only controlling the ball and assisting but also executing goals in the most beautiful manner.

Pedri deserved the Man of the Match award in the game against Levante. Barca’s comeback in Ciudad de Valencia would not have been perfect without the football beauty and vision of the 23-year-old midfielder.

The goal was the highlight of another decisive performance: Barcelona’s ability to control the game. Flick must have always hoped number 8 would be the rhythm of the Catalan team. His question in every match is who will partner him in midfield. With Pedri, Barcelona plays differently, and without him, they are completely changed.

The match against Levante once again came from the feet of the 23-year-old midfielder, with a total of 145 touches and 2 shots. His passing accuracy was slightly lower but still excellent at 93% (118 accurate passes out of 127 attempts). He also made 2 key accurate long passes, succeeding 3 out of 6 times.

He was also perfect defensively, with 10 ball recoveries—the highest—and even won some aerial duels. For Flick, he is an irreplaceable player. Last season, Pedri was the best player in La Liga in nine important stats: passes (2,672), passes in the opponent half (1,958), passes into the final third (414), passes received (2,306), touches (3,191), touches in the opponent half (2,224), ball recoveries (254), recoveries in the opponent half (109), and successful dribbles (826).

This season, he is on track to replicate similar figures, and if he can improve his goal-scoring, we will see a strong contender for next year’s Ballon d'Or.

Pedri has made the final 30 candidates for the 2025 Ballon d'Or, but few doubt he will be ranked much higher in the final standings. The player from the Canary Islands is a versatile midfielder who has overcome physical limitations to maximize his potential.