Pedri reflects on his long-range goal, praises Yamal and hits out at penalty call after Barcelona beat Levante | OneFootball

The recent win for Barcelona over Levante was hardly an easy walk in the park. From start to finish, the opposition made things difficult for Hansi Flick’s team. Fortunately, the quality of the team pulled through and got them the three points.

One player in particular who stood out for his performance was Pedri. From the start of the game till the very end, the Spaniard was a major factor in helping Barcelona turn this game around. After the match, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Pedri even spoke about some interesting topics related to the game itself.

The Barcelona star claimed that the team always knew that this match would be complicated, and it was certainly a game that was hardly straightforward for the Catalan giants:

As for the team’s resurgence during the second half, the Barça midfielder highlighted some aspects of the team’s improved performance:

“In the second half, we had more possession, Raphinha came into the spaces between the lines.”

Speaking about the sensational goal he scored, Pedri stated that shooting from distance was always something that he was being told to try:

“They always tell me to shoot. Today I tried. The first shot with my left foot was back in under-7s, and the second one went in.”

The Spaniard also praised Lamine Yamal for his willingness to keep trying no matter what:

“No matter how the match is going, we know Lamine will take on players and grow into it, and that helps us a lot.”

Finally, Pedri also addressed the controversial penalty decision that went against Barcelona, in which Alejandro Balde was penalised for a handball that never looked intentional and was arguably moving towards his own body as well:

“Honestly, I don’t think so. Not long ago, we had a talk at the training ground about handballs. Last year, Tchouaméni’s in Montjuïc was, for me, a clear handball. This one, for me, wasn’t, and yet it was given. So, well… whatever they call it, it is what it is. Honestly, I don’t understand it, but they should explain it clearly for everyone.”

Ultimately, irrespective of the poor officiating, La Blaugrana managed to take away all three points. That makes it two wins from two games in the league so far, and it keeps Barça at the top of the table for now.