Technical Barcelona maestro is also now La Liga’s best player in terms of ball recoveries | OneFootball

This current FC Barcelona team is full of unique profiles and players with specific strengths. After all, it is the combination of all those qualities that makes this team such a joy to watch. Finding the right balance is always tricky, however, but Hansi Flick has managed to do just that at Barcelona.

However, there are certain players who are renowned for specific qualities and that is what most people know them for and praise them for. The reality is no different at Barcelona, and certain key players are often associated with a specific style of play and the benefits it provides.

For €100 million-rated Spanish midfielder Pedri, the same can be said. Always seen as a technically gifted individual who has immense creativity and a great vision as well as passing ability, this ends up almost always neglecting the more physical and defensive aspects of his game.

However, if people did not see them or appreciate them before, they can certainly no longer deny his defensive impact either. That is because, as highlighted by SPORT, Pedri is now the leader in La Liga when it comes to successful ball recoveries as well.

Despite being a player whose game is not too focused on the defensive side of things, this statistical evidence goes on to show just how adaptable the Barcelona star is when it comes to performing on the pitch. In terms of the numbers, Pedri has made 142 ball recoveries this season in La Liga.

Directly behind him, however, are players who share a more defensive outlook on things and that is where their specialty typically lies naturally. The likes of Valencia’s Mosquera (126 recoveries), Osasuna player Lucas Torro (124), Mallorca’s Mojica (122), and Real Madrid star Federico Valverde (119) are all the players who currently trail Pedri in terms of ball recoveries.

Interestingly, this ability is something that Sergio Busquets was quite renowned for. Nicknamed as La Liga’s ‘Octopus’ due to his great ability of stealing back the ball with the help of his rather long legs, the Barcelona and Spain legend has undoubtedly passed down his recovery traits to Pedri, and the latter is making great use of that quality.

However, it is perhaps even more noticeable when Pedri is playing alongside Frenkie de Jong, another player who is in fine form. Since the Dutchman is more focused on the offensive elements of the game, unlike Marc Casado’s more pragmatic approach at times, Pedri’s defensive responsibilities and qualities shine whenever De Jong starts alongside him.

Now back to his best, Pedri seems to have nothing holding him back anymore whenever he gets on the pitch. His injury woes seem to be behind him, and the player is dropping top performances one after the other in each and every game that Barcelona end up playing, with even rival coaches now having trouble dealing with him.