Barcelona and Osasuna were furious when it was ruled that their postponed clash would take place on Thursday evening, less than 48 hours after several key players are due to play international fixtures. Key Barcelona star Pedri is not one of them, but after extra time in Spain’s win over the Netherlands, has admitted that he and his teammates are feeling it in their legs.
La Roja beat die Oranje on penalties on Sunday night after a thrilling 3-3 game. Hansi Flick will no doubt have watched on with concern as Ferran Torres, Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo all took part. With a number of players coming off international duty, and Ronald Araujo and Raphinha unlikely to be available for the clash with Los Rojillo, it has turned into a trickier fixture for the Blaugrana than first expected. Vicente Moreno will also be without Enzo Boyomo in all likelihood.
“We’re a little tired, but we can’t forget that we’re Barca. If it’s decided we have to play on Thursday, we’ll do it and give everything we have to win La Liga.”
“I told Lamine what a s*** penalty he took,” Pedri laughed to DAZN (via MD) when asked what he had said to Lamine Yamal after his missed penalty against the Netherlands. “He’s a player who learns from these things; the pressure doesn’t get to him. You have to take it to be able to miss it.”
The following day, Pedri attended the launch of his book ‘Pedri and the golden boots’ at La Casa del Libro, where he also took questions from the press. From a personal point of view, Pedri preferred to play regularly rather than rest completely.
“There are still many games left. Everything is at stake now; you can lose three games and be out of the running. The best matches are coming up. Why not dream of that treble? I prefer the treble to the Ballon d’Or.”
🗣️Pedri (Relevo) #FCBarcelona pic.twitter.com/G2kiXtqwbo
— Football España (@footballespana_) March 24, 2025
“Although it may seem strange, I always like to play more than to stop. Sometimes when I take a week off, I feel like my body is more tired. I feel better with continuity, and it’s harder for me to recover when I don’t have it,” he told Relevo.
“It’s difficult to recover with less than 72 hours. The schedule is getting tighter and tighter, and there aren’t many dates either. You can always find a solution. The game loses intensity, the level of play. We have to accept it. Let football recover more. Fans pay a ticket to see the best possible show, and if the players aren’t 100% fit…”
Barcelona’s clash with Osasuna begins a heavy run of fixtures for Barcelona that could well define their season. They play nine games in the coming 28 days across the end of March in April, and it could culminate in the Copa del Rey final against one of Real Madrid or Real Sociedad. They also face Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
