JAKARTA - Barcelona slumped. Since winning El Clasico 4-0 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Xavi Hernandez's side have been knocked out of the Europa League by Eintracht Frankfurt and have suffered two home defeats in La Liga to Cadiz and Rayo Vallecano.
There are many factors that can explain the decline in the performance of the Blaugrana. Apart from the results, there is one factor that comes above all else: Pedri's absence.
The Spain international has missed almost half the season through injury. Barcelona's breakthrough coincided with his return to the field, coupled with the arrival of a winter player. That's when the team got back on track.
They were outstanding when they beat the top teams in the league. They beat Atletico Madrid, Valencia, Real Madrid... and Sevilla.
The stats are clearly visible. Quoted from Marca, Tuesday, with Pedri on the pitch, Barcelona have never lost in La Liga: ten wins and two draws in 12 matches, which is 32 out of a possible 36 points.
Without him, the club would have 31 points out of 63, or in other words, fewer points with twice as many games played.
In the match against Frankfurt, Pedri suffered a severe injury. He tore his bicep femoris, which kept him out for the rest of the season.
Pedri's absence was reflected not only in the results, but also in the team's performances. Barcelona couldn't find a player to make the difference in a deep central position.
With Busquets in fine form and undeniably the pivot, neither Frenkie De Jong nor Gavi made the leap in quality that was needed at the time.
Not to mention Nico, who was relegated to the sidelines after a promising start to the season.
Most worrying was the performance of De Jong, who, after a bit of a comeback, once again showed himself to be too erratic in passing and having no impact on the game.
As for Gavi, despite being committed and physically fit, he lacked the composure and clarity in the passes that Pedri offered.
Xavi knows that Pedri is not only a key player in attack, but also in defence. His absence from the team proved that the coach really needed him.
Unfortunately for Barcelona, they will be playing the last five games of the season without Pedri. In fact, Barca need the best young players from Eruo 2020 to ensure their presence in the Champions League.
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