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Real Madrid Legend Praises Barca Star Pedri as La Liga Race Intensifies

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Emmanuel Mendez | Last updated May 4, 2025 12:07 PM ET

The soccer community already knows the rivalry between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. The two are arguably the biggest clubs in the world, and they fight for titles every season.

This season, Barcelona has had the upper hand over Real Madrid as they have beaten them for two trophies. Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 5-2 for the Spanish Super Cup earlier this year, and last weekend, they defeated Madrid 3-2 in the Copa del Rey final.

As the league season is almost coming to an end, a Real Madrid legend spoke highly about Barcelona midfielder Pedri. The legend was Toni Kroos, who was a crucial player for Los Blancos for years.

The German star retired last summer, and his impact in the midfield has been hurting Real Madrid this season. On his podcast, Einfach mal Lupp, Kroos believes that Pedri is very important to Barcelona and mentions how highly he values him.

Kroos said: "In my eyes, a player like Pedri is almost more important than Lamine Yamal, Raphinha or Lewandowski. They are the ones who decide the outcome of matches, but to achieve that, Pedri is currently the best player in the world in his position in my eyes.”

Kroos has played nine times against Pedri throughout his career. The German midfielder won six games against Pedri and lost three times. Kroos's last match against Pedri was in the 2024 Euros, where Kroos injured Pedri in the quarterfinals match between Germany and Spain.

The admiration Kroos has for the Spanish midfielder is what he receives from other players and fans as well. As mentioned before, Real Madrid has struggled to regain control in the midfield to allow other players to shine. Kroos believes that Pedri is key for Barcelona to tick this season.

Kroos: "Pedri, in general, is a player you will miss when he’s not playing, no matter who you’re against. He doesn’t just score goals, he doesn’t just provide assists. He offers solutions. I’ve been watching what Pedri is doing this season, and in the Champions League alone, he’s outclassing his opponents every game. In La Liga, it’s even more extreme!"

Another 'El Clásico' Awaits

Kroos's comments come at a crucial time for Real Madrid as they are desperate to win a trophy ahead of FC Barcelona. After today's 3-2 win against Celta Vigo, Madrid have a chance to remain pushing for the league title.

ARDA GÜLER TO KYLIAN MBAPPÉ AND REAL MADRID LEAD 3-0 AT THE START OF THE SECOND HALF!!

TWO GOALS FOR MBAPPÉ AND A GOAL AND AN ASSIST FOR GÜLER pic.twitter.com/z23Q4aFJ7k
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 4, 2025

Another edition of El Clásico is next week, but this time in the league. This is a 'must-win' game for Real Madrid, as a loss can hinder their league title chase drastically. Barcelona is 1st with 79 points and Real Madrid is second with 75 points, both after 34 games played.

The match between the two is next Sunday, at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium. The last La Liga match between the two giants ended in a 4-0 away win for FC Barcelona at the Bernabeu. With four games left in La Liga, any point is valuable for both teams as the title race could be tighter or completely over next week.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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