The relationship that both players have established on the pitch, and also off it, is essential for the team coached by Xavi Hernandez, aware that they are two almost essential pieces ahead of Barcelona’s clash with Real Madrid. They have had very little rest so far and even coincided on the bench against Cadiz earlier in the season, where the Catalan coach decided to make changes.
Barcelona and Real Madrid are jointly leading LaLiga and will want to build a lead against their eternal rival.
Xavi’s men are putting in great performances in the league, unlike in the Champions League. Between Marc-Andre ter Stegen‘s saves and Robert Lewandowski‘s goals, the Catalans are in a great situation in LaLiga, still undefeated.
Among the different partnerships that have been formed in the current squad, one that stands out the most is the one formed by Pedri and Lewandowski. In principle, beyond soccer, they are two people with little in common. The former was born in 2002, in the current century, while the striker was born in 1988. That’s a difference of 14 years between the two.
The former Bayern Munich player was already scoring goals – at a formative age – when his teammate was still in nappies.
Pedri’s delight with Lewandowski
Images of Pedri and Lewandowski sharing a conversation, a hug or a gesture of affection are commonplace, both in training and in matches.
Off the field, despite being radically opposite people, they seem to have fit together well. Given that they tend to coincide almost always on the pitch – it is common to see the Canary Islander as one of the first to approach him when he celebrates a goal.
“I can tell you or anyone else. Everyone sees the goals he scores and everything he brings to us. It’s a pride to be able to play with him,” said the Spanish international at a press conference during the last training camp with La Roja.
The former Las Palmas player has scored two goals in the eight league games he has played in this season with Barca, one less than the total he scored during the 2021/22 campaign.
In the same vein, Pedri spoke again about the striker on Tuesday: “He is a real crack. He has a lot of experience in matches of this type and can help us a lot.
“The quality he has to score goals is really crazy. From day one he has helped us youngsters to improve a lot and we are grateful that he is such a normal person with everything he has won”.
Link to goals
Pedri has been involved in several of the goals scored by Lewandowski – the striker now has 14 goals in 12 games – so far this season, mainly because he is a player who is heavily involved in Barcelona’s attacking and creative actions.
However, there has not yet been any play in which either of the two has assisted (final pass) to the other. In fact, the Canary Islander is still waiting for his first assist of the season.
In the two goals scored by the midfielder, the striker has not given the ball to him either. The Bernabeu, on the other hand, is an ideal scenario for both players to bring out their best level, the one we have already seen during these first two months of competition, and, in addition, to certify that palpable connection both on and off the field through a concrete goal… and in front of the fans of the eternal rival.
For Xavi, apparently, the degree of importance of Pedri and Lewandowski is the same. Both players are rarely rested and if they are to cause an upset at the Bernabeu, their burgeoning partnership will need to shine through.
