Pedri and Xavi's reflection

Pedri makes a pass with his left foot in the presence of Soler. AFP7 via Europa Press (Europa Press)

There is no other like Pedro González,

(Tegueste, Tenerife; 19 years old).

This is how Xavi explained it at the end of the match against Valencia, because the player came on as a substitute because he needed rest in his legs but he reached out with his feet and head to read the duel and pause it, stretch the plays and defend with the ball in the feet as the Barça coach insistently demands.

Pedri, in addition, invented a zurriagazo from outside the area that ended in a goal, in the end awarded to Aubameyang because he bounced off his back on the way to the net.

“He is not a normal player”, recognized the Barça coach.

Perhaps because he sees him as his mirror or legacy, because he understands position play like no other, the vocabulary that Xavi recited with his boots on and that led Barça to excellence and the team to victory.

Shortly after returning to the club, already as coach, Xavi came face to face with an unexpected setback.

"It's strange that there are Barça players who don't understand the positional game," he resolved, knowing that he couldn't teach Busquets anything because he plays with a periscope.

The other that stood out was Pedri, who developed his sense thanks to a coach he had as a child because he always made him look around before receiving the ball.

But that's where Xavi's Eden ended.

It turns out that De Jong was more comfortable driving and approaching the ball than clearing up messes with the first touch;

It happened that Gavi is a wonder, already international, but he only played at 180 degrees when they ask him for 360;

and it so happened that Nico is a total player, back and forth, but flatter in peripheral vision.

All this conditioned the game.

Without forwards to stretch the team or fix the centrals and without wingers with break and depth on the outside - Ansu and Dembélé were injured -, the team's football acted as a funnel because it always took refuge in the interior corridors, the mids were on top because there was no another avenue of attack.

Problem that was doubled without perception football, since the midfielders lost a second in control to protect the ball before discounting an opponent.

One touch more, one second less, slower and more predictable football.

"With Pedri it's different because you don't stop him with just one and because he positions himself very well between the lines", extols a worker from the Ciudad Deportiva;

“It's like Iniesta, who with one control already gained space and the second too many;

although also like Xavi, who created another gap with the pass”.

The Barça coach tried to solve the plight of the media in two ways.

With the shot from outside the area and with the surprise arrivals.

Although the team does not have enough of a long shot because it has 102 attempts - only four goals with two from Ansu, one from Busquets and another from Memphis -, the tenth in the League table, far from Madrid (169) and Mallorca (136). ), leaders in statistics.

Only Memphis (16 shots), Dembélé (12) and before Coutinho (11), now at Aston Villa, are encouraged.

As midfielders, Nico adds 10, Busquets six and Gavi four to two from Pedri and one from De Jong.

“We demand it from Pedri”, revealed Xavi;

He “he has a shot and throws free kicks well.

He has to dare”.

Although as the technician knows that the resource of the distant shot is not the forte of the midfielders, he asks them to step into the area by surprise.

Something that now works because fast attackers have arrived who do offer imbalance from the outside (Adama, Ferran and Aubameyang, in addition to Dembélé).

The numbers are clear.

With Koeman —and not counting penalty shots— the media scored three of the team's 20 goals (15%), while with Xavi they add up to nine of 27 (33.3%).

It turns out that Xavi is not satisfied with the version he has of Pedri and has asked him to capitalize on the team's attack.

More than anything because he understands that in previous courses all the balls went through Messi -in addition to the fact that Koeman's attack structure was limited-, but now Leo is not there and points to the Canarian interior as the ideal catapult.

This is how he has been asked in some talk, a motivation that the footballer gladly accepts because, among other things, he wants to erase that buzz that he has no goal because he always related well to rival networks.

Now, Pedri adds two (not counting the Mestalla) in the last five games, when in the previous year he stayed in four.

“He is the best in the world in his position and he is only 19 years old”, praised Xavi;

"No one in the world is more talented than him."

The Canarian, although daring, reflected it in his last public appearance: “Xavi understands football like me”.

Perhaps because it is the reflection of him, at least for the style of play that he likes and he wants for his Barcelona.

The curious coincidence with Maradona

In a strange wink of fate and the ball, the day Maradona died, Pedri came of age.

“I know it was very big, but I could only follow it on video;

it was obvious that it was different.

I wish I had had it in front of me, live, because it was too good", Pedri told his father, Fernando, in a conversation that has not come to light but was recorded on

, when the Canarian turned a year with the Barca shirt.

“No, son,” he replied, “it was number one by far.

It was something impressive.

We saw him in Tenerife because in addition to Barça and Naples, he played for Sevilla.

It was an honor".

Now, Pedri, who is crazy about football history, wants to honor him and also impress at Diego's other stadium, this Thursday against Napoli and, incidentally, help Barça reach the knockout stages of the Europa League.

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