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#3 Pedri
Pedri, a proud graduate of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, once again produced an eye-catching performance in La Liga.
Introduced in Frenkie de Jong’s place for the final third of the game, the Spaniard barely had enough time to find his footing. Yet, he never looked out of place and picked up right where the Dutchman left off.
The 19-year-old popped up in dangerous areas, brought his teammates into play, and was responsible for Barca’s fourth goal of the afternoon.
In the 63rd minute, the midfielder picked up the ball on the edge of the box and hit it with power. The ball swerved its way past Giorgi Mamardashvili, giving the keeper no chance.
The goal was ultimately rewarded to Aubameyang, courtesy of the deflection the ball took off the Gabonese’s back. However, that shouldn’t take anything away from the quality of Pedri’s strike.
#2 Frenkie de Jong
Barcelona’s midfield star Frenkie de Jong scored a morale-boosting goal against Valencia on Sunday afternoon.
The former Ajax man, who hasn’t made the impact many were expecting him to at Barca, showed a different side to his game at Mestalla. He did not see the ball as much as he generally does, and pushed up more often than not.
His 32nd-minute goal demonstrated his knack for being in the right place at the right time. The 24-year-old kept faith in Busquets’ vision and spotted Ousmane Dembele’s run down the right flank.
Anticipating a cross into the area, he burst through the Valencia defenders and applied the finishing touch when Dembele inevitably drilled the ball in.
Don’t be surprised to see him in a more attacking role against Napoli this Thursday.
#1 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
In Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Barcelona may finally have a striker who can effortlessly capitalize on the plethora of chances they create in every single match.
Against Valencia, the former Arsenal captain not only scored his first goal(s) for Barca but also gave a preview of the future.
With Aubameyang leading the line, the midfielders had a clear target to aim at. His 23rd-minute opener was a perfect testament to his pace and movement, while his 38th-minute strike demonstrated his ice-cool finishing.
You wouldn’t necessarily expect a player of Aubameyang’s caliber to miss those chances, but it was great for Barca to see his finishing in the flesh.
His hat-trick goal, which came in the 63rd minute, was easily the weirdest of the lot. The striker simply tried to duck out of the way of Pedri’s strike, but the ball ended up taking a deflection off his back.
The resulting swerve beat the keeper, which ultimately compelled the officials to award the goal to Aubameyang instead of Pedri.
