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Pedri strike sends Barca second in LaLiga

Barcelona moved up to second in LaLiga as Pedri’s strike secured a 1-0 win against Sevilla at Camp Nou on Sunday.

The goal from Pedri was a well-taken effort with just under 20 minutes to go and proved enough to seal the points for Xavi’s side.

Sevilla defended well for large parts but offered little going the other way as Julen Lopetegui saw his team slip to fourth place.

The result also means Real Madrid end the weekend with a 12-point lead at the top of the table after their win at Celta Vigo on Saturday.

Barca started the stronger of the two sides, with Ferran Torres and Frenkie de Jong going close in the opening minutes, but the first save of merit did not arrive until first-half stoppage time when Yassine Bounou palmed away an effort from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after a neat ball from Ousmane Dembele.

Sevilla showed more intent in the second half and had their first shot on target when Erik Lamela was unable to beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The hosts did not have a shot in the second period until just after the hour, with Torres forcing Bounou to tip over from a Dembele pull-back, while Gerard Pique struck the crossbar with a header from a corner soon after.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 72nd minute when Dembele set up Pedri on the edge of the box, with the teenager delightfully working the ball onto his right foot before drilling a shot past the despairing dive of Bounou.


What does it mean? Barca show credentials again

It is not typically a wild assertion to suggest Barcelona are among the two best teams in Spain, but if you had proposed they would be in this position just a couple of months ago, you may have been looked at with quizzical eyebrows.

If the 4-0 Clasico thrashing of Madrid last time out was a statement of intent, this merely supported the theory that fast-improving Barca are more than a promising side, they have substance to them.

Up against the best defence in LaLiga, the Blaugrana did not create a high number of big chances (many of their 19 shots were speculative), but they wore their opponents down and when Pedri’s goal came, it had been on the way.

As easy as it is to get carried away by young players at Barca, Pedri keeps convincing that he will be a star of the future, and in truth, is already a star of the present.

His goal was top quality, but his overall performance was equally impressive, making a team-high two interceptions and four tackles as well as winning two fouls himself.

It will be a gutting feeling for Sevilla, with this putting an end to a 15-game unbeaten run in the league.

While they defended as well as they often do, Lopetegui’s men offered little in attack, having just one shot in the first half and rarely testing Ter Stegen even after falling behind.

Barcelona travel to Germany to play Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday before returning to LaLiga action at Levante next Sunday. Sevilla host Granada in league action on Friday.

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BARCELONA’S TEENAGE MIDFIELDER PEDRI SIGNS CONTRACT WITH €1BN RELEASE CLAUSE

Barcelona teenager Pedri has agreed a long-term contract extension with the financial-stricken Catalan giants.

The 18-year-old Spain international, who was named in the Euro 2020 team of the tournament, has agreed a deal that will keep him at the Nou Camp until 2026.

His new contract includes a €1 billion release clause and will be officially signed on Friday.

Pedri, who has been linked with Liverpool, joined Barcelona from Las Palmas in August 2020 and quickly established himself as a starter in midfield.

He played 53 times last season — the most appearances of anyone at the club.

His new deal is a rare piece of good news as Barcelona continue to struggle on and off the pitch. They sit ninth in LaLiga and have lost their opening two Champions League games.

Lionel Messi was forced to leave the club during the summer as they were unable to afford his new contract, while experienced players such as Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba agreed to salary reductions to allow Ronald Koeman’s side to register their new signings.

President Joan Laporta laid bare their financial issues back in August, saying: “Barcelona has a negative net worth of €451 million — it is a terrible inheritance. What has been happening is very worrying.

“The situation is dramatic, but we have good news. The strategic plan based on our credibility and experience, on the assets that Barca have, makes this situation temporary. I think that in a couple of years, the club’s economy will be healthy.”