Pedri produced a stellar display to help Barca earn a 3-2 win at Levante in their latest La Liga outing, which he capped by scoring his third goal of the season.
Xavi is delighted by Pedri’s performances
Xavi has insisted that Barcelona are not dependent on Pedri, despite admitting that the midfielder is “an extraordinary player”. Pedri produced a stellar display to help Barca earn a 3-2 win at Levante in their latest La Liga outing, which he capped by scoring his third goal of the season. The 19-year-old missed the first half of the season due to a hamstring injury, but the Blaugrana have recorded nine wins and one draw since his return in January. Xavi was delighted by Pedri’s performance against Levante and acknowledged that he could be the difference-maker in games but has rejected the notion that he is carrying Barca in the same way that Lionel Messi did before his departure last summer.
“I wouldn’t say that,” he told reporters. “Look, he’s an extraordinary player. Don’t skimp on the praise for him. He’s a player that excites me and one that can make a difference.”
“He’s scored a great goal against Levante, but I don’t think there is a dependence on him. Frenkie de Jong and Nico Gonzalez made an effort as well. That’s what we all have to do. You can’t always play beautiful football.” Barca’s win against Levante was their seventh in a row in La Liga, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Luuk de jong also getting in on the act as they cut the gap to leaders Real Madrid to 12 points. The Catalan outfit are also now unbeaten in 15 league matches and still have a game in hand on the Blancos as they seek to pull off an unlikely title triumph. Xavi’s side are also in the hunt for Europa League glory, with the second leg of their quarter-final tie against Eintracht Frankfurt up next at Camp Nou on Thursday.