Even if it’s a renovated version, FC Barcelona never expects to lose at Camp Nou. Much less to a fierce LaLiga rival. But Atletico Madrid walked into Barca’s home grounds on Wednesday and delivered a stunning 2-0 victory in the Champions League.
Barcelona had their chances, but they couldn’t convert any of them. Atletico, meanwhile, capitalized greatly on their few chances and took advantage of playing with an extra man. In the aftermath of the loss, Barca midfielder Pedri appears to be taking some blame, even though Pau Cubarsi is the one who got sent off in the first half.
Why is Pedri being criticized following Atletico Madrid loss?
That’s because Pedri had to be subbed off at halftime, leaving Barcelona without arguably its most important player. As it turns out, Pedri was dealing with hamstring discomfort, forcing manager Hansi Flick to play it safe and rest him for the remainder of the game.
It sounds like Pedri will be fine and could even play this weekend, but his injury-riddled season has sparked criticism about him that we haven’t seen before. Albert Ortega, who covers LaLiga teams for El Confidencial, went so far as to say that “his physical condition can’t sustain in the elite“.
As Ortega notes, Pedri has missed 15 matches this season due to injury. More concerningly, it’s his hamstrings that tend to act up more than anything. He has injured his hamstring, both in minor and major forms, on eight different occasions.
During this season, he also dealt with a calf strain. It’s the soft-tissue injuries that have limited Pedri throughout his career, but it’s a bit of a stretch to say he can’t survive in elite competitions because of it.
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