Pedri was there to welcome his new Barcelona teammate from the very beginning. At the Gamper Trophy, he showed Rodri around the new Spotify Camp Nou, and the two have already shared the field against Athletic Club. Their roles will be different at Barça, too, with Pedri now part of Hansi Flick’s captaincy group.
Rodri’s arrival at Barça presents a fascinating tactical challenge for the German coach.
Pedri’s role could change
With Spain, Luis de la Fuente has consistently preferred to push his No. 8 a few yards farther forward. At Barcelona, however, Pedri has been Flick’s undisputed playmaker since the coach took over, essentially giving him the keys to the team.
Pedri is more comfortable when he can see the game in front of him, and he has become the starting point for Barcelona’s buildup. He was particularly outstanding in that role during the 2024-25 season. Rodri’s arrival, though, could force a rethink.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner likes to have a major influence on the game from the very first phase of the buildup, and that could overlap with the role Pedri has made his own.
That is Flick’s big tactical challenge for Barcelona in 2026-27: finding a way to get the best out of both stars without one taking too much away from the other.
During the preseason, Flick did not make any major changes to his basic setup. He has started with a 4-2-3-1, using Gavi and Marc Bernal in the opening game and Pedri and Bernal against Athletic, with the attacking midfielder, usually Fermín López, given considerable freedom to roam.
At various points during Flick’s first two seasons, though, Barcelona’s shape has often morphed into something closer to a 4-3-3.
How can Rodri and Pedri coexist?
Flick has two obvious options.
The first is to keep Rodri and Pedri in their preferred roles and stick with the 4-2-3-1, allowing both to operate at the base of the midfield. That setup has caused some compatibility issues for Spain, where Rodri’s huge influence in the buildup can sometimes reduce Pedri’s impact.
That has even been the case when Pedri has dropped deeper from the No. 10 position to get more involved in the buildup.
Pedri’s role at Barcelona could be altered by Rodri’s arrival. MIGUEL MORENATTI
The alternative would be for Flick to change the structure whenever Rodri plays. He could shift Barcelona into a 4-3-3 and make Rodri the team’s primary outlet from the back, much as Sergio Busquets was for Barça during the previous decade.
That would allow Pedri to move higher up the field. In some ways, he could become more like Andrés Iniesta, the player Luis Enrique compared him to shortly after first seeing him with Spain.
That change would also affect the No. 10. Whether the role goes to Dani Olmo, Fermín or Gavi, that player would need to become more involved in creating and connecting play rather than focusing primarily on getting into the box.
“We have already shown at Barcelona that Pedri and I are compatible,” Olmo told AS during the World Cup.
If that triangle can click, it could be devastating.
A relationship that could make it work
Flick does have one major advantage as he tries to solve the puzzle. Rodri and Pedri have an excellent relationship. Both are obsessed with soccer and tactics, and both are completely dedicated to their profession.
There is also a big difference between working together for a week or a month with the national team and playing together at club level. Rodri and Pedri could have four years to develop their partnership at Barcelona, and the conversations between Flick and his two midfielders will be crucial to making it work.
For Flick, that makes this an especially exciting challenge. The understanding between the players will not only determine how well they complement each other, but also the tempo at which Barcelona play.
Some expect Barça to become a more patient, slower team with Rodri in midfield. But that overlooks where he has spent the past seven years. He has played in the Premier League, where the pace is relentless, and few players are better at changing the speed of a game with a single pass.
Rodri made his Barcelona debut against Athletic Club, coming on for Marc Bernal in the 62nd minute. Alex CaparrosRelated stories
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