Pedri says stomach discomfort prompted Galatasaray substitution, easing Barca fears
Pedri has confirmed his substitution against Galatasaray was caused by stomach discomfort rather than a muscular problem, easing Barcelona’s concerns before a demanding run of fixtures. The midfielder went off in the 73rd minute, replaced by Marc Bernal, with Barca already 4-1 ahead in Turkey.
Key takeaways
- Pedri said he felt unwell and requested to be replaced so Barcelona could bring on a fresher player.
- Barcelona recovered from an early setback to beat Galatasaray 4-1 in the Champions League.
- Hansi Flick’s team have now won 10 straight matches in all competitions, including eight La Liga games.
- The result sent Barcelona top of the league-phase table after scoring nine goals in their opening two European ties.
- Barcelona visit Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, October 20, while Galatasaray host Lille a day later.
Barcelona turn game around in Istanbul
Galatasaray made the early running when Aleksey Batrakov opened the scoring. They thought they had doubled their lead through Baris Alper Yilmaz, only for VAR to rule out the effort.
Joao Cancelo struck just before the interval to bring Barcelona level. Flick’s side then took control after the restart: Fermin Lopez headed in during the 50th minute, Anthony Gordon scored his first Champions League goal for the club three minutes later, and substitute Karim Adeyemi completed the scoring in the 65th minute.
Pedri said Barcelona had rushed the decisive ball before half-time, particularly after falling behind in a hostile stadium. He praised the response after the break, saying the side kept possession better, found room and allowed its attackers to get into the right areas around the box.
The four-goal display followed a 5-1 win over Feyenoord on matchday one, leaving Barcelona with nine goals from two Champions League games. Under Flick, the Catalan club have scored 84 times in 28 matches in the competition — an average of three per game, the best rate by a club managed by one coach across at least 20 Champions League fixtures since 1992-93.
Pedri points to Barcelona depth ahead of PSG
The Spain midfielder said Barcelona’s strong start has answered suggestions that the squad lacked goals. He believes the team have proven their attacking options, with quality available from the bench as well as in the starting line-up.
Pedri also stressed that the season is still in its early stages, but said the next sequence of matches carries major importance. Barcelona’s next European assignment is a trip to France to face Paris Saint-Germain on October 20.
Galatasaray, currently top of the Turkish Super Lig, remain without a league-phase victory and will attempt to respond quickly when Lille visit Istanbul the following day.
