Barça beat Levante 3-0 with Pedri’s return to the pitch and are back at the top of La Liga
FC Barcelona went into the match against Levante with doubts and incentives. Their two consecutive defeats had left fans wondering whether this bad run would continue on their return to the new Camp Nou, but Real Madrid’s defeat against Osasuna and the chance to return to the top of the table excited Barça fans, who needed to regain their confidence.
Hansi Flick opted for changes in his starting eleven. He moved Gerard Martín to the center of defense and left the left wing to the newly signed Joao Cancelo. In midfield, he put his trust in Bernal, who started the game. And up front, he opted for Lewandowski. But what was most exciting was the return of Pedri, who was on the bench after seven games out with injury.
The match kicked off and Hansi Flick’s confidence in the young midfielder paid off. Bernal scored in the 4th minute from a pass by Eric García. The goal served to calm the nerves of the Barça fans for the rest of the match.
After the goal, Barça laid siege to Matt Ryan’s goal, who, despite conceding three goals, had a great game with several saves. Joan García also had to make some great saves, such as a one-on-one in the first half that kept the score in favor of the Blaugranas.
Barcelona’s second goal came in the 32nd minute, when a cross from Joao Cancelo found De Jong’s boot, who pushed it into the back of the net at will. The Portuguese had a great game and cast doubt on Balde’s position as a starter for the rest of the season.
In the second half, in the 66th minute, the substitution that Barça fans had been waiting for for a month took place. Pedri came on to replace Bernal and played his first minutes since his injury.
The Spaniard struggled to get going, but once he felt comfortable on the pitch, he gave us another of his great performances that we have come to expect from him. Pedri was once again in control of the ball and dictated the tempo of the game during his 25 minutes on the pitch.
The goal that sealed Barça’s victory came from Fermín. In the 81st minute, the Spaniard struck the ball from the edge of the area, giving the Levante goalkeeper no chance to save it. His shot hit the post and went into the net, making it the third goal of the game and his fifth in the league.
Barça are back at the top of the table and will have a week’s break before they face Villarreal on February 28, in a crucial match against a tough opponent to confirm both their first place and their good form.