Gavi and Pedri react after Sevilla 1-4 Barcelona – ‘The midfield was safe’ | OneFootball

Barcelona midfielder Gavi returned to the starting line-up against Sevilla after suffering a hard knock in last week’s encounter against Alaves.

Despite starting strong, his time on the pitch was limited to the first half. Manager Hansi Flick decided to substitute him at the break, considering two factors: he was already on a yellow card and had taken another knock that seemed to bother him.

The coaching staff felt it was best not to risk keeping him on the field under those circumstances.

“The knock hurt quite a bit and Hansi told me that with the yellow card, the game was not about nonsense,” said Gavi after the match.

The young midfielder remains optimistic about the season ahead. He acknowledged the importance of recent results, which have allowed Barcelona to close the gap in the league standings.

“The league is very long and people thought we weren’t going to be there. This is a long time, we have to win all the games that are left if we want to win in the league,” he noted.

Pedri’s take

Pedri was named the MOTM against Sevilla. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Pedri also shared his thoughts after the match. The star performer at Sánchez Pizjuán expressed his satisfaction with how Barcelona managed to edge closer to the top of the table.

Despite his impressive second consecutive assist, Pedri downplayed his personal achievements, stating that team victories matter far more than individual numbers.

“Numbers are the thing I pay the least attention to. I prefer the team to keep winning games.”

Reflecting on the victory over Sevilla, Pedri highlighted how the team capitalised on slip-ups by rivals Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid.

“It was an important game for us. I am happy with how the game went and with the reaction of the team with one less,” he noted.

Reflecting on the game

Pedri gave his thoughts. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

He credited Fermin Lopez’s goal early in the second half as a turning point, which boosted the team’s confidence. The goal forced Sevilla to open up their play, which Barcelona expertly managed.

“We were having a good first half until the goal, in the second half we corrected some things and scoring soon after coming on gave us a lot of confidence. In addition, they also had to open up more.”

Pedri further praised the team’s composure in the final minutes, despite being a player short. He noted that in the past, Barcelona struggled to handle such situations, but this time they showed discipline and control, particularly in midfield.

“I have experienced games at Barça where we didn’t know how to manage playing with fewer men. Today we were safe with the midfield,” he concluded.

Source: Mundo Deportivo