Barcelona midfield maestro calls for attacking improvement after Atletico loss – ‘If you don’t take advantage…’

Pedri’s efforts on the pitch against Atletico Madrid went unrewarded as Barcelona failed to secure a much-needed victory. 

After scoring his fourth goal of the season, he stood out as the leader of the Blaugrana for the entire 90 minutes. 

His performance earned him the MVP award for the match, but even his determination and creativity were not enough to prevent the team from dropping points. Alexander Sorloth struck during added time, ensuring the visitors walked away with a draw.

Pedri’s analysis

Pedri put on a good display against Atletico Madrid. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Speaking after the match, Pedri said that Barcelona had several chances to seal the game, but their inefficiency in front of goal ultimately cost them. 

Pedri showcased his frustration with the team’s lack of decisiveness in attack, as opportunities to secure the win were squandered. 

“It’s a very tough defeat, to be honest. I think we had chances to close out the game and when you don’t do it, what happens happens,” he said as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.

Players like Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski missed crucial chances to score, and Pedri himself admitted that his own opportunity needed more composure and precision. 

“I think Raphinha had two, Robert another and I missed an opportunity that needed calmness and determination. In football, if you don’t take advantage of your chances, you lose.”

When a team fails to capitalise on its chances, the risk of conceding on the counterattack increases—a scenario that unfolded once again for Barcelona in the dying moments of the game.

“In the end, they caught us on the counterattack and in the end we have to be more ready and not give ourselves away so much,” he explained.

Another defeat

Pedri says Barcelona were not good in attack. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

This result marks Barça’s third consecutive defeat at the Estadi Olímpic, a concerning trend that the team must urgently address heading into 2025. 

Losing at home should be an anomaly for a club of Barcelona’s stature, but their recent struggles have exposed vulnerabilities that opponents are increasingly exploiting.

“It’s difficult, especially because it should be much more difficult to beat us at home and it’s not happening that way.” 

As the team heads into a much-needed break, the focus will be on resetting both mentally and physically. The players and coaching staff will need to reassess their approach, particularly at home, where Barcelona should be far more dominant. 

“We must improve a lot, we have to take advantage of the break that’s coming now to reset mentally and physically and come with everything to try not to lose any games and hope that the others fail,” he added.

Barcelona’s season has reached a critical juncture, and the break offers an opportunity for reflection, recovery, and preparation to reclaim their momentum moving forward.