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When thinking about the absolute efficiency of Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, it is important to address the competition of certain player profiles that decide the level of their power.
Several players come to mind: a runner like Raphinha, a lethal target like Robert Lewandowski, a supreme creator like Lamine Yamal and an anchor like Marc Casado.
But after observing Barcelona’s performances this season, it is evident that none of them would be able to contribute as much as they do without a general manager like Pedri González.
No matter how fast Flick’s football is, Pedri is the link on the pitch that keeps the team moving and in control.
His impact is so high that in games in which Pedri doesn’t see much of the ball or gets lost in the end-to-end chaos that characteristically creeps into Barcelona’s performance these days, the team seems adept at composure.
In fact, the strings he continues to pull this season come from quite uncharted territory, earning well-deserved plaudits for his performances in this Barcelona team.
Once again operating at a high level after a few injury-plagued seasons, Pedri finds himself once again in search of the crown of best midfielder in the world.
It is a recognition that has come to make the club’s fans happy and that the rival fans are beginning to understand, who are dazzled by the magic he exerts with the ball at his feet.
It’s time to give the laurels to Pedri.
Back to business
With Hansi Flick, Pedri has played the best football of his career. Physically he looks in the best shape of his life and Barcelona is reaping enormous rewards for it.
In previous years, while his reliability was never in doubt, it was his availability that disappointed him.
During his debut season, Pedri played a starring role in guiding Barcelona to Copa del Rey triumph, forming a telepathic connection with Lionel Messi and announcing himself as one of the best attacking midfielders on the planet.
But for all his brilliance as a 17-year-old, Pedri put an unimaginable burden on his young body. After a grueling season with Barcelona, Pedri boarded a plane to the Euros, where he once again dominated the headlines for Spain.
It was his decision to also represent his country at the Olympic Games a few weeks later that ended his young career. Irreparably exhausted, Pedri suffered the consequences for seasons afterwards.
He continued to show flashes of his best in the intervening seasons, but fitness issues often held him back. Only after the arrival of Hansi Flick and his staff in the summer did Pedri rediscover his fitness and reach peak form.
The intense training sessions with a great emphasis on physical work make the Spanish midfielder have fun like he did in his time, being available to play consistently and for a long time.
To such an extent that he has been involved in every game so far this season, registering almost 16 full appearances in the 19 league matches played so far, and remains central to Flick’s set-up at Barcelona.
But the difference lies in the care the staff puts into his health (substituting him at the end of games or giving him a break from time to time) that keeps Pedri fresh and available for selection.
At only 22 years old, Pedri has years of football ahead of him. If the midfielder can stay out of the medical room, Barcelona fans will have a reason to celebrate and a talent to admire for as long as possible.
Peter 2.0
If there is a rejuvenation of Barcelona’s philosophy and style of play, it is likely that there has also been a renewal of Pedri.
While his fitness has improved massively, so have Pedri’s performances in recent months. And much of that is due to the new role Flick has selected for him.
In the early days of his Barcelona career, Pedri regularly featured in higher positions on the pitch as an advanced playmaker. While he brought Pedri’s opportunity-creating ability to the fore, supply between the lines could be restricted, reducing him to a mere passenger.
It was a problem that almost all Barcelona teams since his arrival had not been able to solve.
However, Flick recognized Pedri’s skills and his ability to control games from deep. So, instead of placing him in the number 10 position, he has placed him alongside Marc Casado in Barcelona’s double pivot.
This change allows Barcelona to counter their own suffocating opposition setup on the pitch used against them.
One of the most pressure-resistant players in the game, Pedri’s awareness and close control are key to dictating the build-up from the back when the opponent tries to stop the team’s forays further forward.
His presence in the first phase of preparation allows Barcelona to keep the ball, impose control of the game and sustain their attacks. It is a crucial part of Flick’s or any Barcelona team’s tactics, against high-quality opposition.
For example, during Barcelona’s match against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, if it weren’t for Pedri taking the game by the throat and dictating proceedings when the Bavarians threatened to overwhelm the defense, things might have been different. .
The same responsibility and talent was shown against teams like Borussia Dortmund and especially against arch-rival Real Madrid, where Pedri dominated the midfield and allowed Barcelona to not be dragged into a back-and-forth soccer mud war.
For The WhitesYou cannot forget how crucial Barcelona’s number 8 was to guarantee both The Classics They were embarrassingly one-sided.
Even in games that simply didn’t go the way the team expected, with the game against Atlético Madrid still very fresh in the memory, where Barcelona put in their best performance of the season, Pedri still grabbed the headlines.
All because the Golden Boy of 2021 put on his golden boots and decided to put on a show of extreme class and composure that transcends mere football skill.
In short, Pedri is Barcelona’s best player with the ball. The greater the number of touches with which you can touch the ball, the greater the feeling of control and quality of Barcelona’s game.
The 22-year-old is so ridiculously elite that he could and would mold a certain state of play to suit the team’s needs.
But this is not even the most striking thing about him at the moment.
The surprising thing, and probably the best part of Pedri’s resurgence, is the strides he has made in the defensive department.
Now operating deeper into the pitch, Pedri’s responsibilities for covering space and winning duels in midfield weigh equally with his work on the ball. It is a task that has been assigned to him in Flick’s midfield and that Pedri is executing to perfection.
He runs the most on this team and helps his full-backs with incredible determination that highlights his immense work rate in midfield. Another advantage of Pedri’s rise in his physical form.
Flick likes his midfield to be action-packed and conquering, and Pedri has met his demands quite passionately.
We were all aware of the flow of creativity that Pedri has, his ability to pick out a pass or slide down the field, but the fact that he has been able to do that and then some in this new role is a testament to his revolution.
Combine that with his intensity and desire to work for the team and run to the ground, fans are looking at one of the most ridiculously well-rounded players in the world who is also one of the top-ranked players in his field.
Statistical evidence
Although players like Pedri cannot be defined simply in statistical terms, their resurgence is backed by them, as would be expected. As expected, Pedri is one of the leaders in all aspects in terms of his performance with the ball.
If we analyze the highlights, the canary is placed at 93third percentile for progressive passes and later at 92North Dakota percentile for shot-creating actions, underscoring his creative strengths, even from a deeper position.
Pedri’s revolution, however, can be further concluded from his numbers in other metrics of the game. To begin with, Pedri is one of the players who has traveled the furthest, especially in the Champions League where he is in the Top 30 by metric.
Even his defensive actions have shown progress. While the Spanish midfielder is at 77th percentile of successful tackles, what might be impressive is his anticipation, clocking in at a mighty 95th pass blocked percentile.
To make matters worse, Pedri is at 85th possession recovery percentile, an incredible statistic that places him in first place in the league in the department and that practically confirms a higher ceiling achieved by Pedri with Hansi Flick.
A bright future
If anything, the way Pedri has been playing this season, he should be considered in the class of key players so important to the team. ‘Flicki-Flaka’ to work.
I don’t want to sound poetic, but Pedri is the point of difference. A day off work for him or a tactically caged No. 8 creates problems for Barcelona, who understandably depend on the magic and work ethic of one of the best players in the world.
Pedri’s renewal as a central midfielder has been so immense that former better-prepared players like Frenkie de Jong and Gavi are struggling to make their mark since returning from their respective injuries.
Considering the fact that Pedri has developed an incredible connection with teammate Casado and bonded supremely with Dani Olmo, it is a midfield trio that has served Barcelona well and will continue to be called up as the club strives to reach greater heights this season.
Succumbing to his injuries, stories of Pedri’s greatness and talent were almost forgotten and players like Jude Bellingham were considered the standard of an elite midfielder in his absence.
No offense to the Englishman, but now that he’s back, stronger and sharper than ever, Pedri reminds everyone what it means to be a ‘midfielder‘, making fans and opponents alike fall in love with the elegance of yesteryear and the class of the evergreen.
Football is to be enjoyed. To entertain. And watching Pedri slide across the trimmed green is perhaps one of the greatest football pleasures there is.
Simply the best in the business.
