Marc Bernal replaced Pedri in the 63rd minute of Barcelona's Champions League clash with Feyenoord yesterday, Wednesday, and the switch produced a first for this season. Bernal, a graduate of Barcelona's academy, and Rodri, the club's new star, shared the pitch together for the very first time.
Bernal spent his opening minutes just a few metres from Rodri, slotting into the space Pedri usually fills a short distance ahead of the Ballon d'Or winner. The Catalan showed real energy and linked sharply into the team's passing.
When Gavi came on for Rodri in the 83rd minute, Bernal dropped back into the holding role he occupied in his two starts this season, according to the newspaper "Mundo Deportivo".
With Rodri absent last season, the academy graduate occasionally filled the holding midfielder role. He even lined up as an attacking midfielder in the Champions League group-stage match against Paris Saint-Germain, proof of his importance and the range of his midfield skills.
These twenty minutes handed Bernal his first "advanced lesson" from Rodri, one of the finest midfielders of the current era. The Catalan and former Manchester City man showed head coach Hansi Flick that, despite the similarity in their styles, both can thrive in Barcelona's talent-packed midfield.
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