Spain's Rodri (30) has proven he is exactly the player Barcelona needed, and this after making just a single start with the side, despite not being among the expected list of candidates.
Sporting director Deco stepped in amid Real Madrid's uncertainty to secure the Rodri deal, at a time when Barcelona were chasing the signing of Julian Alvarez.
Although the cost of the operation seemed to limit the chances of signing a top-class out-and-out striker, Barcelona closed the transfer window with self-sufficiency and completed the squad by adding Gabriel Jesus.
Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo" reported that Rodri arrived as a player capable of passing on his experience to a young dressing room, and of guiding Marc Bernal through his growth and development. Hansi Flick made that clear in the press conference.
After two substitute appearances, the manager handed Rodri a start at the Mestalla. He delivered a flawless, perfect performance, shattering all doubts about his compatibility with Pedri at national team level.
Pedri spoke after the final whistle: "It is always said that Rodri and I do not work well together, but the truth is that it is very comfortable to play alongside him, and we will understand each other extremely well."
The opening minutes brought an alternation of distances between the pair. Rodri sat close to the first passes as a rule, while Pedri pushed several metres into his medium intervention zone. That never stopped them swapping roles at times.
They talked constantly throughout the match. Rodri also spoke to the two centre-backs to gauge the distances between the lines while pressing.
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Both hunted for each other and looked to pass directly. Rodri received the most passes from Pedri, at 16, while Pedri took the most from Rodri, at 19.
Under Hansi Flick, Barcelona enter their third season aiming to bring the side to maturity, after their goalscoring ferocity against Europe in his first season and the same idea carried into the second.
Rodri is decisive in this development. Flick delivered a message of self-criticism at the Mestalla, stressing the need to control the match more after going 5-0 up, with the aim of "saving energy". He said the same after the win over Rayo Vallecano, pressing the importance of taking a breather with the ball while ahead, and Rodri fits that profile perfectly.
One first-half moment summed it up. Rodri collected the ball with his back to the pitch near his own penalty area, held onto it, then turned and broke Valencia's press with a long pass.
Here is the balance a Barcelona built on fast play requires. Strange as it seems, the calmest player, the one most in control of the rhythm, is the one who lets the attackers run better. Raphinha's goal proved it, coming from a Rodri interception and a pass into space.
Flick praised him openly: "Everything Rodri does has meaning", adding that this situation is "a good thing for Bernal".
He went on: "Rodri is an amazing player, not only on the pitch but in the dressing room too. He is a true leader in every sense of the word."
Those close to the player say he needs several weeks after the start of the season to reach his highest levels of rhythm and readiness. That makes his display at the Mestalla the prologue to an exciting story worth following every three days.