Barcelona midfielder, Pedri González, announced his departure from the field after the 1‑4 against Galatasaray at the Ali SamiYen, explaining that the reason for his substitution was not an injury, but rather a stomach pain that made him feel sick. The player was proud of the team's performance, describing the second half as “spectacular” and highlighting the difference in play compared to the first half.
The match, which was played in Istanbul, ended with Barça's victory 4‑1. Pedri, who did not score a great goal like in the 2022 edition, was the driving force of the attack and led the control of the game. In the last minutes he asked for change, saying: "My stomach hurt and I felt a little sick. Better to ask for change and have another soda come in." The substitution came before the team could suffer a major injury.
The player explained that Barcelona suffered in the first half due to a lack of patience in distributing the ball. "We believe that in the first half we were too quick to make the last pass. We had the ball and we saw a lot of space and we played the last pass," he commented. Pedri highlighted the importance of having tall players like Lamine, Fermín, Olmo or Gordon, who can make the difference when the team needs a physical boost and presence in the area.
The team's reaction after the first goal was a topic of conversation for Pedri. “When Galatasaray takes the lead with this atmosphere it is complicated but I am left with the team's reaction,” he said. The player stressed that Barcelona “has a lot of confidence” and that the squad “has it” despite the fact that there had been talk that they did not have a goal. According to him, the club has already scored 43 goals in 10 official matches and the squad is “very large and very good.”
Pedri also spoke about the upcoming matches, which include decisive games against Betis, PSG and Real Madrid. "There are very important games coming up. It's the start of the season but they are important. Let's enjoy them and above all win," he concluded. With these challenges on the agenda, Barcelona seeks to consolidate its position in the league and continue demonstrating its scoring ability this season.