The combination was so fast that the Villarreal central defenders could do nothing. A magical move, a prodigious yours-mine, a wall only at the height of two geniuses. The pressure after Koundé’s loss worked like a charm, and Raphinha enabled Pedri up front. At first the canary made a wall with Lewandowski to be left alone before a totally unarmed Reina. He just had to cross the ball to claim the goal. It was not the first time that Pedri and Lewandowski met so successfully on the pitch, but the virtuosity now came on an important night.
On August 7, in his first game with the Barça shirt, Lewandowski showed what he would be capable of doing if Pedri was close to him. Both teamed up to score three goals in 18 minutes at the Gamper against Pumas. Several months have passed, but the connection between the two has not been lost, if not it is going to more. In Villarreal they made it clear.
The Pole has been an important factor in the goalscoring growth of the Canary Islander this season. There are already six goals that he has scored, four of which in the last six games. Only in the League, with tonight’s he has scored three goals in the last five games. Some numbers that show that the canary is working on the most important facet of football and in which the canary had little role.
The man from Tenerife has opened the scoring four times in this League, against Celta (1-0), still in 2022, Getafe (1-0) and Girona (0-1), in recent weeks. With 6 league goals he equals Gabri Veiga and Valverde as one of the most prolific midfielders. They are only surpassed by Brais Méndez and Sancet, who have seven.
It is in this 2023 when the definitive explosion has arrived. Pedri is complying with the wishes of Xavi Hernández, who has been asking him for some time to reach the area more, to look for spaces and get closer to the hottest area of ??the field. In his progression as a footballer, the canary continues to surprise, now due to his ability against goal, and this 2023 seems to be the year of his goalscoring takeoff.
