Barcelona midfield ace highlights key factors that could decide Atletico Madrid clash | OneFootball

Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal may be stealing the limelight for Barcelona in recent games with their goalscoring record.

It is, however, Pedri Gonzalez who controls the team’s play and perhaps plays the single most important role for the Catalans on the field with his midfield prowess.

The youngster was named the man of the match when Barcelona took on Benfica earlier this week and will once again be a key cog in the upcoming league game against Diego Simeone’s side.

Pedri’s thoughts

Speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow’s La Liga clash against Atletico Madrid, Barcelona superstar Pedri Gonzalez shared his thoughts on the tie, the team’s moment of form and what one can expect from the Catalans.

“We are in good shape, I think we are in a positive dynamic and we are very much looking forward to the match, it will be a beautiful match to enjoy,” he began on the game against Diego Simeone’s side.

Elaborating on what made the rivalry against the Madrid-based giants special, the midfield star said,

“Matches against Atletico or Real Madrid are always very important and can determine the fate of the league, but even so, we must not consider them final.”

“We must treat all the remaining matches with the same importance and strive to win them all,” he added.

Pedri is the heart and soul of Barcelona and the player who dictates the tempo of the game. When asked what would be critical against Los Rojiblancos, he spoke about ball control and possession.

“The most important thing is possession and control. I think we’re a much better team when we have the ball,” he stated.

Ready for Atletico Madrid showdown. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)

“We also have to focus on the final minutes, which caused us problems twice against them, and work on improving that aspect so it doesn’t happen again,” he added on the team’s mistakes in recent meetings.

Pedri then opened up about Barcelona’s style of play, the attacking brand of football and the continual effort to keep control of proceedings.

“In all matches, we strive to control the game by possessing the ball and playing calmly, and we will try to do that in this match, but we must be careful so that they do not surprise us with counterattacks.”

Barcelona’s last two meetings with Atletico Madrid were ruined by late comebacks by the Colchoneros and Pedri admitted it was something they must avoid tomorrow.

“The game doesn’t end until the 90th minute, and that’s clear. We have to improve on this aspect, and we know that very well. The positive thing is that we know what we need to improve on.”

Finally, Pedri spoke on whether or not Atletico Madrid’s defeat to Real Madrid midweek will affect the hosts’ performance.

“In a match like this, you always arrive in good shape, even if you’ve suffered a tough defeat. We’re indeed in a better mood, but in matches like this, all previous results are forgotten, and all that matters is this encounter alone.”

Source: X/FCBarcelona