Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has officially named his squad for the UEFA Champions League semi-final second-leg game against Inter Milan, scheduled for 8 p.m. tonight, May 6.
Among the notable inclusions are prolific striker Robert Lewandowski and fast-rising superstar Lamine Yamal, both of whom are crucial to the team’s ambitions in the ongoing Champions League campaign.
Lewandowski was absent during the first leg, where Yamal’s impressive performance played a significant role in securing a dramatic 3-3 draw at Camp Nou last week.
As the teams prepare to meet again, both Barcelona and Inter Milan come off the back of morale-boosting victories in their latest domestic fixtures, with Barcelona beating Real Valladolid and Inter Milan defeating Verona.
Flick has selected a 23-man squad, aiming to strategize and outmaneuver the Serie A giants at the iconic San Siro.
The players representing Barcelona in this crucial match include: goalkeeper Iñaki Peña; defenders Ronald Araujo, Iñigo Martinez, and Andreas Christensen; midfielders Gavi, Ferran Torres, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, Fermín, and Olmo; and forwards Robert Lewandowski, Ansu Fati, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, as well as promising talents like Pau Víctor, H. Fort, Gerard Martín, Landry, and Darvich.
Amid this high-stakes encounter, former Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has made an interesting assessment regarding the key players on Barcelona’s roster.
Kroos, who hung up his boots last summer, emphasized that Pedri holds greater importance to the team’s success than other star players such as Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski, and Raphinha.
This season, Yamal, Lewandowski, and Raphinha have been in blistering form, collectively netting 86 goals across all competitions, helping Barcelona maintain a strong chase for a potential treble as the season draws to a close. Yet, in Kroos’s view, it’s Pedri’s unique skills and vision that make him indispensable.
“For me, a player like Pedri is more important than Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, or Lewandowski,” Kroos stated on his podcast, Einfach mal Luppen.
“While those players can indeed decide the outcomes of matches, Pedri’s understanding of the game and his ability to control the tempo make him the best player in the world in his position right now.”
Note that, Pedri has made 54 appearances, scoring six goals and providing seven assists so far this season.