Pedri against Vitinha: a duel full of intrigue and expectation

A few days ago, many fans and analysts couldn´t believe that Pedri only reached the eleventh position in the ranking. Among the explanations, it was mentioned that, traditionally, voters tend to prioritize forwards over midfielders. Still, it is striking that, despite the fact that the 2024 award was won by Rodri, most international journalists leaned towards Vitinha, who finished third after a great campaign with Paris Saint-Germain.

The stage of the duel

The grass of the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys de Montjuïc could be the place where this confrontation is resolved and it is checked whether the Ballon d´Or voting was fair or an obvious mistake. However, there is doubt about whether Vitinha will be able to play, as he is dealing with physical discomfort that puts his participation this Wednesday against FC Barcelona in question. The match promises to be one of the great games of the season: the defending Champions League champion against one of the top contenders, who were just short of the final in the previous edition.

Luis Enrique´s strategy

In Barcelona, no one is unaware of Luis Enrique´s ability to try to influence matches days before they are played. Within the azulgrana club, some are suspicious of the striking plague of injuries that PSG is experiencing. In any case, one of the players most likely to be in the starting eleven is Vitinha, despite being substituted for precaution after half an hour of the match against Auxerre. “He had some physical discomfort and we didn´t want to take any risks,” explained the Asturian coach. Meanwhile, Pedri is going through a brilliant moment. He was named MVP in Barça´s victory against Real Sociedad (2-1) and, in LaLiga, he leads the passing record with authority, with no other player able to overshadow him in this regard.

The comparison between Pedri and Vitinha

Pedri is showing a remarkable evolution in his game, excelling in both offensive and defensive aspects. Last season, he recorded 6 goals and 8 assists, and in the current one, he has already scored against Levante, paving the way for the first comeback of the season. On the other hand, Vitinha has accumulated 1 goal and 4 assists so far this season, although in a tournament with lower-level opponents. Last season, the Portuguese surpassed the Tenerife player in goals (8 to 6), but provided fewer assists (5 to 8). In that regard, he has clearly improved this year. In the defensive aspect, the numbers also favor the Spaniard: Pedri averages 7 recoveries per match, while Vitinha does not reach 6 in the current campaign. Additionally, the Canarian wins on average one more duel per match than the Portuguese player (4 to 3).