Sport
Steve McManaman Praises Pedri as the Best in Barcelona This Season
Former Liverpool and Real Madrid star Steve McManaman has picked who he believes is Barcelona’s standout player this season.
Rather than going with the more obvious names like Raphinha or young sensation Lamine Yamal, McManaman singled out Pedri as the club’s most impressive performer.
He shared his thoughts after Barcelona’s dominant 4-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. Lewandowski netted twice, with Raphinha and Yamal also on the scoresheet as Hansi Flick’s side cruised to victory.
Commenting during TNT Sports’ coverage, McManaman said, “Everyone talks about the front three—Lewandowski, Yamal, Raphinha—but for me, Pedri is their best player. He’s such a joy to watch.”
He reflected on Pedri’s journey, saying, “He came through as a teenage sensation, then had that bad injury which slowed him down. But now he’s back and playing brilliantly. I’ve always been a big admirer.”
Lionel Messi had to watch from the sidelines as Inter Miami collapsed from a two-goal advantage to suffer a 4-3 defeat against FC Dallas on Sunday. Messi, along with Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suarez, was rested for the game as manager Javier Mascherano kept his key players fresh for their upcoming CONCACAF Champions Cup clash.
Without their stars, Miami slipped to their first loss of the 2025 MLS season, throwing away a 3-1 lead and dropping to fifth place in the Eastern Conference with 18 points. After the final whistle, Mascherano took the blame for the defeat, admitting his decisions cost the team. “It’s tough,” he said.
“For 65 minutes we were in control and had turned the game around, but I misread the situation. I made some wrong calls and couldn’t guide the players the way I should have.”
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has admitted he was left hurt after his side’s painful loss to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday night.
Ancelotti watched his team battle hard but fall short as Barcelona edged a 3-2 win to lift the trophy. Goals from Pedri, Ferran Torres, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Kylian Mbappé saw the match locked at 2-2 after full-time, before Jules Kounde grabbed the winner for Hansi Flick’s side in extra time. After the match, Ancelotti said it was tough to accept because Real Madrid had fought till the end.
“We dominated the second half and gave everything. I can’t fault the players, they did their best,” he said. “I’m hurt because we were so close to winning.” He added that the team would now turn their full focus to La Liga, where they are currently second, trailing Barcelona by four points.
Nigerian rapper Tochukwu Ojogwu, better known as Odumodublvck, has stirred conversation online after saying Barcelona’s rising star, Lamine Yamal, is better than football icon Lionel Messi.
The rapper shared his thoughts after Yamal’s standout performance in Barcelona’s thrilling 3-2 win over Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final, where the 17-year-old winger delivered two crucial assists to help secure the trophy.
Praising Yamal’s display, Odumodublvck boldly stated that Messi, even during his teenage years, didn’t reach the level Yamal is showing now. Taking to his X page, he wrote, “Yamal is better than Lionel Messi. Na me, Kala, talk am. At 17, Messi no touch this level. I watched him live. Nobody fit whine me.”
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