E<\/span>FC Barcelona never expects to lose at Camp Nou, even if it is a renovated one. Especially against a fierce rival in La Liga. But Atl\u00e9tico Madrid rode into Bar\u00e7a’s home ground on Wednesday with an impressive 2-0 victory in the Champions League.<\/p>\nBarcelona had chances but couldn’t convert any of them. Atl\u00e9tico, on the other hand, made the most of their few chances and took advantage of the fact that they played with extra players. Pau Kvarsi was sent off in the first half, but Bar\u00e7a midfielder Pedri also appears to have taken some of the blame following the defeat.<\/p>\n
Why is Pedri being criticized after the Atl\u00e9tico Madrid defeat?<\/h2>\n
That’s because Pedri was forced to come on at half-time, leaving Barcelona without perhaps its most important player. As it turned out, Pedri was suffering from hamstring discomfort, forcing manager Hansi Flick to play it safe and rest him for the remainder of the game.<\/p>\n
Pedri appears to be fine and able to play this weekend, but his injury-plagued season has led to unprecedented criticism of him. Albert Ortega, who covers the La Liga team for El Confidential, went so far as to say, “His physical condition cannot be maintained at the elite level.”<\/p>\n
As Ortega points out, Pedri has missed 15 games this season due to injury. What’s even more concerning is that the hamstrings are more susceptible to movement than anything else. He has injured his hamstring eight times, both minor and major.<\/p>\n
During this season, he also suffered from a strained calf muscle. Pedri has been limited by soft tissue injuries throughout his career, but it’s a bit of a stretch to say they prevent him from surviving in elite competition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
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