Pedri begins to deliver on his promise with Rodri in Turkey

In Turkey, Pedri appears to be beginning to deliver on his promise about playing alongside Rodri. The Spanish midfielder had said that sharing a midfield line would be “a spectacle”; a performance in the heart of Istanbul has now drawn the admiration of his teammate and renewed interest in how well they complement each other.

At the start of the season, Pedri had voiced his enthusiasm about playing alongside Rodri in midfield. Their relationship, the account of the match suggests, goes beyond exchanging passes: the two are beginning to show what they can offer each other. Questions had previously been raised about their understanding in the Spain team during the World Cup; Rodri’s move to Barcelona later gave them the chance to build that partnership at club level.

Their complementary qualities come from distinct roles. Rodri provides balance, wins the ball back and builds play from deep, while Pedri has more freedom to create and move between the lines. In a Barcelona match, Pedri also helped create two dangerous chances, with Rodri behind him providing security in midfield.

The figures from that match reflect the division of duties: Pedri completed 69 passes, compared with 113 for Rodri, the highest total among the players involved. Rodri also won the ball back seven times and made 122 touches, again the most in the match.

Rodri’s admiration for his teammate had been evident before. After a Pedri dribble in Barcelona’s match against Getafe at the end of last week, Mundo Deportivo reported that Rodri exclaimed from the bench: “What a player!” In Turkey, that respect now accompanies a promise that could make the pair one of Barcelona’s most notable weapons this season.