When he gets the ball, you have to pray — Barcelona's Pedri reveals scariest opponent

Pedri has grown from a young midfielder with immense potential to one of the best footballers on the planet, while winning trophies and dominating games with Barcelona.

Despite his creative brilliance, the young star has never been known for his defensive acumen or speed, something that has limited him against quicker opponents.

The Barcelona midfielder was recently a guest on the El Hormiguero show, where he was asked to name his most difficult opponent. The 23-year-old replied that his lack of pace means he does not like to run, and revealed that Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior is one player he dreads facing on the pitch.

“A player I don’t want to face in a speed duel? Almost everyone, I’m a bit slow. Mbappé, Vinicius.. yes, when the ball reaches Vinícius Júnior, all you can do is pray. He runs three times faster than me", he said (via @MadridXtra on X).

Pedri made a successful return to the pitch during Sunday’s 3-0 victory against Levante. His comeback follows a month-long layoff due to a hamstring injury sustained in a Champions League fixture against Slavia Prague.

Meanwhile, Vinicius Jr, who was at the centre of a racism row in last week's UEFA Champions League playoff clash against Benfica, will be back in action when Real Madrid hosts Jose Mourinho's men in the second leg this week.

Vinicius scored the winner in the first leg, taking his tally to 5 goals in his last 4 games, and will once again be in the spotlight as Los Blancos look to seal passage into the round of 16.