What would you say when asked who is better between Pedri or Gavi? Well, this has been a subject that has taken the rounds in Spanish and world football and even in the ranks of the Barcelona Football Club and their fans around the world.
Playing the same position and for the same club and national team has only gone on to deepen the rivalry that is between them.
Before we go deep into the discourse of comparing who is better Pedri or Gavi, let us first find out a little about these Spanish football superstars.
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Who Is Pedri?
Officially known as Pedri González López, and known to all as Pedri. Pedri plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spanish national team. He has been lauded for his intelligence, creativity, stamina and work rate all on the field of play.
Many consider the 20-year-old one of the best young players in the world and believe that he will most likely be among the list of the greatest Spanish and world football of all time in the future.
Pedri was born on November 25, 2002, in Tegueste, Tenerife, Spain and started his football career, playing for the youth academy of his hometown club CD Tegueste. He later moved to the youth academy of UD Las Palmas, where he progressed through the ranks and made his first-team debut in 2019 at the age of 16.
Pedri signed for Barcelona for a fee of €20 million in 2020 and quickly established himself as a key player. He made 52 appearances in his first season, scoring four goals and providing six assists.
By the next season, he had made 65 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals for the Catalan giants. He was also instrumental in Spain’s run to the semi-finals of the UEFA Nations League, where they were defeated by France.
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Who Is Gavi?
Officially known as Pablo Martín Páez Gavira, but popularly known to everyone as Gavi. This 19-year-old is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club Barcelona and the Spanish national team.
Gavi was born on August 5, 2004, in Los Palacios y Villafranca, Spain. He also started playing football at a young age joining the youth academy of his hometown club Betis Balompié. He later moved to the youth academy of FC Barcelona, where he progressed through the ranks and made his first-team debut in 2021 at the age of 17.
Gavi is Known for his energy, intensity, and pressing ability, and many hint that he plays in the footsteps of the legendary Barcelona star, Andres Iniesta, often considered one of the best young players in the world.
Gavi made his debut for Barcelona in 2021 and quickly established himself as a key player. He made 47 appearances in his first season, scoring two goals and providing two assists.
By the following season, this youngster continued to hold the managers spellbound with his prowess, making 23 appearances in all competitions and scoring two goals.
He was called on to the Spanish national team and was also instrumental in Spain’s run to the semi-finals of the UEFA European Championship, where they were defeated by France. Gavi is touted by analysts as having the potential to become one of the best midfielders of his generation and have a seat in the round table of the greatest footballers of all time.
Now that we have checked out vital information about these two players, let us now go into their…
Pedri vs Gavi Playing Style
Pedri’s Playing style
Pedri is evaluated by football analysts as a versatile midfielder who can play in a variety of positions, including central midfield, attacking midfield, and on the wing. Points in his favour include his excellent technical ability, vision, and passing skills. He is also a very hard worker and has a high stamina level.
Analysts believe that Pedri often plays in a free midfield position, which gives him the freedom to move over the field. He prefers to occupy central areas and work between the lines, but he can also move out wide and sprint to the sidelines to set up opportunities for teammates. To recover the ball, he even dives deep into the defensive, he is a little tidier and better in tight situations.
Gavi’s Playing style
Gavi is a box-to-box midfielder who is known for his energy, intensity, and pressing ability. He is also a good dribbler and has a decent shot from distance. He has also been considered by analysts as one of those who have exceptional close control of the ball, allowing him the ability to navigate through tight spaces and evade opponents effortlessly. He is also good at delivering short and long precise passes that can dissect defences. Gavi’s technical prowess is enhanced by his agility, quickness, and ability to change direction swiftly, he is more energetic and explosive.
Pedri and Gavi Achievements Analyzed
These men are some of the best players in Spain and the world and are not insignificant when it comes to achievements.
Pedri’s Achievements
| No. | Trophy | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kopa Trophy | 2021 |
| 2 | Golden Boy | 2021 |
| 3 | UEFA Nations League semi-finalist | (2022–23) |
| 4 | Copa del Rey winner | (2020–21) |
Gavi’s Achievements
| No. | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| Year | ||
| 1 | Golden Boy (2022) | 2022 |
| 2 | UEFA European Championship semi-finalist | 2022 |
| 3 | La Liga champion | (2022–23) |
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Problems Of Pedri And Gavi
There is no doubt that from what we have seen above, Pedri and Gavi are two of the most promising young midfielders in the world. They are both technically gifted and have the potential to become the greatest football players of all time.
But there is a catch to their comparison which highlights their different weaknesses. Both Pedri and Gavi have different playing styles and strengths and weaknesses.
Pedri is viewed as a more versatile midfielder with excellent technical ability. Pedri can be called upon to take up roles that are needed when they are needed. He can blend into any part they put him in. But you know what they say about jacks of all trades: they are masters of none.
But Pedri is seen as lacking in physicality and is unfortunate to be prone to injury. In the last two years, between 2021 and 2023. Pedri has had 6 injuries. These injuries have ranged in severity from minor to serious, and have caused him to miss a significant amount of playing time and are mostly hamstring and muscle strain injuries.
Any smart tactician can make sure that they shut down the defender by putting a competent defender to mark him wherever he goes on the pitch. This defender will follow him around and press him high on the pitch, he will also make sure that he cuts off all passing lanes that may come to Pedri and sometimes have another defender give him a double-man marking when he gets into an advantageous position against them. This will demoralise, wear him down and keep him from being useful in the game.
Gavi is a box-to-box midfielder with energy and intensity, this is great for Gavi as he is also responsible for both attacking and defending, but what makes him stand out is his intensity and strength. Many tout him as being fitter and more agile than Pedri.
The same tactics that can be worked on Pedri can also hold sway when it comes to Gavi, the difference there is that the players that will be used have to be strong and resilient.
Since he is not as experienced as Pedri, he is prone to make costly mistakes and mistiming runs.
Now that we have seen the achievements, problems and strengths of these two world-class players with respect to the question: who is better, Pedri or Gavi? Let us now check out a side-by-side comparison of all the things we have just talked about.
Tabled Comparison Of Pedri And Gavi
| Feature | Pedri | Gavi |
|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | November 25, 2002 (age 20) | August 5, 2004 (age 19) |
| Position | Central midfielder | Central midfielder |
| Playing style | A versatile midfielder with excellent technical ability, vision, and passing skills | Box-to-box midfielder with energy, intensity, and pressing ability |
| Strengths | Technical ability, vision, passing, stamina, work ethic | Energy, intensity, pressing, dribbling, shot from distance |
| Weaknesses | Lack of physicality, injury proneness | Lack of experience, recklessness |
| Achievements | Kopa Trophy (2021), Golden Boy (2021), UEFA Nations League semi-finalist (2021), La Liga champion (2022–23), Copa del Rey winner (2020–21) | Golden Boy (2022), UEFA European Championship semi-finalist (2022), La Liga champion (2022–23) |
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Final Verdict: Who Is Better Pedri Or Gavi?
We have checked out all there is to the question of who is better Pedri or Gavi and now we can say that both Pedri and Gavi are world-class players who are invaluable arrows in the quivers of both the Barcelona Football Club and the Spanish National teams.
Pedri and Gavi are two of the most promising young midfielders in the world. They are both technically gifted and have the potential to become world-class players. However, they have different playing styles, strengths and weaknesses.
If we were to choose the better person between Pedri and Gabi, we would go with Pedri. The reason is the fact that Pedri has more experience and tends to read the game better than Gavi who is still on the inexperienced side and is prone to taking risks which may be costly in the game.
Do you have disparaging thoughts? Reach out to us in the comments section below and let’s get talking.
