8 - Pedri

[ToranagaSama]

Comparing him to Xavi is even more insane. Back in the days I used to browse through football geek forums where people were collecting all sorts of historic OPTA data of historic key footballers. Xavi in the 2010 World Cup came up as the player who created the most chances in a single World Cup only after Maradona 1986 if I remember correctly.

In 2008/2009 season Xavi had 31 assists for Barca as a central midfielder who collected the ball from the centerbacks and controlled the game. Anyone else with that final ball characteristic is usually a CAM like Özil, KdB, Fabregas etc. whose only purpose is to play the final ball without the burden of controlling the entire midfield.

Xavi - Stats 08/09

Player stats of Xavi (Karriereende) ➤ Goals ➤ Assists ➤ Matches played ➤ All performance data

www.transfermarkt.com

He was a unique midfielder who could play final and through balls at Messi level without being a pure CAM. Modric, as a comparison, never managed more than 12 assists in a single season in his entire career.

Just watch on Youtube Xavi's throughball assists in the Euro Cup 2008 final, Euro Cup 2012 final, 2010 CL final or the 09/10 away Clasico. I don't know of any other central midfielder like him. Game controlling CMs usually don't have final balls like that.

 

[JamDav1982]

He isnt even close to peak Xavi currently.. but he is also 22 and folk are comparing him to a peak Xavi in far better teams.

One thing that folk ignore that sets Xavi apart.. he was an absolute athlete. Had engine of a long distance runner and would be as fresh from minute 1 to minute 90 and never stopped.

Was always fresh and fully alert.

 

[Porque]

Comparing him to Iniesta is ridiculous
Even Iniesta at 22 was bossing it in the 2006 UCL final btw ppl…

He should have started. And I recall he had a great game against Benfica as the DMC.

But back to the final, when he comes off the bench it was already against 10 men. So there's that.

 

[vegitot]

He's not won as much nor he Is as talented as those two, period end of discussion.

He's 22 ffs & being compared to Iniesta & Xavi 😂😂.

At least wait until he's 28.

Getting GOAT midfielder shout at 22. That's something else. But yes, Pedri likely will peak in his late 20s, just like Xavi and Iniesta.

Nah Guti was someone like Olmo when they are both on. Splendid footballers but luxury players that have huge systematic defenciencies.

Pedri comes up with Xavi and Iniesta, purely because Pedri is an incredibly rounded midfielder, that has traits of both without the excessive quality of either.

In a way he is what you would get if you merged Xavi and Iniesta, and got the median version of boths characterics, without the peaks of boths abilities. Iniesta's creative dribbling and acceleration, and Xavi's passing consistency, selection and assertiveness.

Pedri has both without excelling in either, a very good engine with better defensive actions than both, but without Xavi's defensive positioning.

Spot on. That's also why Pedri may have chance to even surpass them both in the future. It also depends a lot on his role, his team.

 

[vegitot]

He should have started. And I recall he had a great game against Benfica as the DMC.

But back to the final, when he comes off the bench it was already against 10 men. So there's that.

Iniesta was great vs Milan in semi final too. Overall he had big impact in 2006 UCL run. So far i don't think any of Pedri's UCL campaign is as good as Iniesta's 2006. But Pedri had better domestic campaigns, at the same age.

Comparing him to Xavi is even more insane. Back in the days I used to browse through football geek forums where people were collecting all sorts of historic OPTA data of historic key footballers. Xavi in the 2010 World Cup came up as the player who created the most chances in a single World Cup only after Maradona 1986 if I remember correctly.

In 2008/2009 season Xavi had 31 assists for Barca as a central midfielder who collected the ball from the centerbacks and controlled the game. Anyone else with that final ball characteristic is usually a CAM like Özil, KdB, Fabregas etc. whose only purpose is to play the final ball without the burden of controlling the entire midfield.

Xavi - Stats 08/09

Player stats of Xavi (Karriereende) ➤ Goals ➤ Assists ➤ Matches played ➤ All performance data

www.transfermarkt.com

He was a unique midfielder who could play final and through balls at Messi level without being a pure CAM. Modric, as a comparison, never managed more than 12 assists in a single season in his entire career.

Just watch on Youtube Xavi's throughball assists in the Euro Cup 2008 final, Euro Cup 2012 final, 2010 CL final or the 09/10 away Clasico. I don't know of any other central midfielder like him. Game controlling CMs usually don't have final balls like that.

From 2008-12 Xavi was a chance created machine. He mostly topped the chance created stats. But he was at his absolute prime and also played with the team that built to bring the best out of him.

Pedri hasn't neither now.

 

[RedxMAK]

He should have started. And I recall he had a great game against Benfica as the DMC.

But back to the final, when he comes off the bench it was already against 10 men. So there's that.

Then again, he made Barcelona more controlled and creative. When I watched that final, I can easily tell you that Larsson and Iniesta changed the game for us. The ball for Eto’o’s goal was originally passed from Iniesta then it went via Larsson to reach Eto’o.

 

[serghei]

Folk love to just make things up.

Pedri was poor v PSG.

Gave away ball badly and sloppily too many times and was far too slow trying to close them down.

None of the midfielders played well.

Vitinha was better than all of them and he didnt have much great beside him either that game.

This season he is getting dribbled past far too easily.

Teams are also man marking him and FDJ and showing ball out to Barcas full backs. They are pressuring the midfield with space and targetting likes of Kounde and Gerard.

Pedri's problem is that extra bit of time he needs to get going. Vs big teams everything happens faster than his comfort zone, especially in terms of how fast the game flows.

 

[serghei]

Pedri is great. But the bar is PSG's midfield now. If De Jong and Pedri want to be seen as the dominating midfield pair, games like PSG can't happen again. Vitinha didn't even play that great of a game himself, and he was still easily the best midfielder on the pitch. And I hate PSG. I wish Pedri and De Jong played a great game and handled PSG's midfielders, but the opposite happened.

 

[jamrock]

Yea because PSG midfield is better than ours, barca fans are slowly coming to that realization, though it was clear since last season.

Vitinha
Pedri

Is a level above everyone else

Then neves is on a level by himself.(Loooove this player)

The rest are all about the same level.

 

[JamDav1982]

Pedri's problem is that extra bit of time he needs to get going. Vs big teams everything happens faster than his comfort zone, especially in terms of how fast the game flows.

Pedri has played well in a ton of big games.. PSG was not one of them. He was sloppy and his pressing was poor too often as it was v Sevilla.

The opposition are running off him for fun this season. Rayo did it also.

He gets a lot of recoveries as always moving and the second man on press after front for but when opposition get past that and Pedri is 1v1 or has to track a run he looks leggy a lot this season.