‘He was everywhere‘ – Barcelona midfield star wows former Newcastle striker at St James’ Park

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Sempre Barca

·21. September 2025

‘He was everywhere‘ – Barcelona midfield star wows former Newcastle striker at St James’ Park

Although they won the game with only the barest of margins, FC Barcelona still had quite a good outing against Newcastle United in their opening game of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League campaign.

The midfielder Pedri was one Blaugrana player who stood out the most for his team in this match, and several commentators have already praised the Canarian for his performance.

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Among these commentators have also been the former Newcastle United forward Faustino Asprilla, who had helped the Magpies get a 3-2 win over the Catalans back in the first matchday of the 1997-98 UCL campaign.

As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the Colombian appeared in an interview after the game between Newcastle and Barcelona, and highlighted Pedri’s great performance:

“Pedri’s performance was extraordinary, sensational. It was textbook to see him running so much. He was everywhere. I was impressed watching how he moves because I had never seen him live before.”

Asprilla also went on to praise the young winger Lamine Yamal, and mentioned him as one of his top three players for the Ballon d’Or:

“I would choose these three players and I couldn’t leave Mbappé out either… That kid has extraordinary talent. For the talent he has at his age, it’s crazy. He’s the replacement for Messi and Cristiano. Against Newcastle, Barça missed Lamine. They have too powerful a forward line.”

There is no doubt that the Blaugranes have one of the best squads in Europe, and hopefully, Hansi Flick will be able to continue getting the best out of his players to ensure they bring another UCL to the Barcelona cabinet.