Xavi Hernandez has lauded Pedri for his recent displays, comparing the Spanish midfield sensation to Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta.
Speaking after Barcelona’s big win in La Liga over Athletic Bilbao, as quoted by Goal, Xavi Hernandez was quick to praise Pedri. The Barcelona manager suggested that there are not many players as talented as the Spanish midfield sensation while comparing him to Andres Iniesta.
Pedri has gone from strength to strength since earning his Barcelona breakthrough in the 2020/21 season. The teenage prodigy quickly established himself as a key figure for the Blaugrana at the onset of the campaign, becoming a mainstay in midfield.
Such was the 19-year-old’s impact that he played nearly 70 games for club and country from the start of the 2020/21 season to the end of Spain’s campaign at the Tokyo Olympic Games last year. But 2021/22 has been a difficult term for Pedri, who was sidelined for a considerable period due to fitness issues before finally returning to the scene recently.
Pedri has since been excellent, producing several eye-catching performances, including in last week’s win over Napoli in the UEFA Europa League. The Spanish international continued impressing in Barcelona’s most recent game against Athletic Bilbao this past weekend.
Xavi: “Pedri reminds me of Andrés Iniesta. He’s simply magic. I didn’t see many other talents at his level before… he’s amazing”. ⭐️ #FCB pic.twitter.com/9WsuA9ke3G
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 27, 2022
Speaking after the big win, Xavi Hernandez appeared ecstatic, lauding his team for playing fluent football again. The Barcelona manager also reserved special praise for Pedri, hailing the 19-year-old for his recent displays while comparing him with former teammate and Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta.
Xavi said, “It’s how he understands the game, how he goes between the lines, how he goes behind the pivots. He reminds me a lot of Andres Iniesta. He’s wonderful. I haven’t seen many talents like that.”
That is big praise from Xavi, considering Andres Iniesta is one of the greatest players of all time. The Spanish midfielder won 30 major honours with Barcelona, with Xavi experiencing his genius first-hand.
Pedri has shown a lot of promise since breaking out at Barcelona, but he still has a long way to go in his career. If the 19-year-old continues on his upward trajectory, there is no reason why he will not achieve big things in his career, much like Iniesta.