Pedri Blames Xavi For FC Barcelona-Atletico Madrid Winner

FC Barcelona midfielder Pedri has pointed the finger at first team coach Xavi Hernandez for his part in the team’s winner against Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

The Blaugrana edged three points clear of bitter rivals Real Madrid in La Liga with a gritty 1-0 win over Diego Simeone’s men at the Metropolitano.

This was achieved when Pedri went on a slalom run on the edge of the Atleti box, before palming a pass off in Gavi’s direction before his fellow Spain playmaker found Ousmane Dembele to slot home in the 22nd minute.

Asked about the goal post-match, Pedri said that “Xavi is to blame for today’s goal”.

“[He] always tells me to get more into the area and shoot, to take risks, to dare [to try a] one-on-one… I feel more and more comfortable up top, for which Xavi is to blame today’s goal,” he added.

“I slipped, I saw space, and I found Gavi, who put his body in and gave it to Dembele to score,” Pedri explained of the goal, which means that Barca now head to the Spanish Super Cup as leaders in the top flight.

Pedri played parts of the Sunday night match as a false left winger. “I am closer to the area and it is more comfortable to create from there, in addition [to the fact] that the team has superiority in the middle,” he said.

His part in the goal was typical of Pedri’s performance in the Spanish capital. While he showed brilliance in edging past a series of Rojiblanco defenders, the final pass to Gavi didn’t quite come off as it hadn’t at various intervals in the game.

By SPORT, however, Pedri was commended for his dogged determination in the tie, despite not being able to shine as on previous occasions against a typically stubborn opponent.