Barcelona once again displayed their attacking prowess against Borussia Dortmund, beating them 4-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski were amongst the headlines, but once again Pedri showed just how good he can be.
It was highlighted by Cadena Cope that he is the player who wins the ball back more than any other in La Liga, and has more ball recoveries than anyone else in the top five leagues including the Champions League statistics. Injuries well and truly behind him, Pedri is also covering an average of 11.5km per game in Europe, one of the highest averages around, and about 6km more than any of his teammates, the closest being Jules Kounde.
That defensive side of his game has been one of the arguments for Pedri as one of the most complete midfielders in the world currently. FBRef statistics state that Pedri is 8th in La iga for blocks. On the ball, he is even more impressive. He has the second most successful passes in the opposition half in Europe, and stands out even more in Spain.
Frenkie de Jong was spectacular last night. The Dutchman made four tackles, won four out of five duels, recovered possession six times, and lost the ball only three times. He completed 69 passes with a remarkable 97% accuracy, contributed 14 passes into the final third, and…
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) April 10, 2025
He is top for progressive passes (third in Europe’s top five leagues), top for passes into the final third (sixth in Europe), third for touches, third for through balls (9th in Europe), third for passes into the penalty area, fourth for key passes, fourth for shot-creating actions, sixth for expected assists per game and seventh for progressive carrying distance.
Pedri has missed just one match this season, a sign not only of his improved fitness, but also of his importance to Hansi Flick’s side. In a recent interview, he explained that he had changed his fitness programme, and no longer lifts any weights as part of it. Flick has on several occasions referred to him as the best in the world for his position, and recently heard his name ring out at the Metropolitano against Atletico Madrid.
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