Rodrigo Hernandez made his first Barcelona start, playing 62 minutes against Valencia. Though he is still gradually working his way back to his old rhythm, coach Hansi Flick was pleased with his performance.
According to the German coach, Rodri’s role is important whether he has the ball at his feet or not. Flick believes his experience can also play a big role in developing the club’s younger players.
Barcelona further cemented their position at the top of La Liga by thrashing Valencia 5-0. Praising Rodri after the match, Flick said, “We’re happy to have him in our squad. Everything he does with the ball at his feet has purpose. Besides giving the team structure in attack when he has the ball, he’s also important without it.”
Calling Rodri’s presence important for the club’s young midfielders, Flick added, “Bernal is also doing great work. It’s a good situation for him. If he can make the most of this opportunity, he’ll keep improving and gradually become an even better player. That’s exactly what we wanted with this transfer. Rodri is exceptional. Not just on the pitch — he’s an outstanding leader in the dressing room too. It’s great to have him with us.”
Meanwhile, Rodri and Pedri have also played together for the Spain national team. The two were seen together at the start of the World Cup, but questions later arose over Pedri’s place in coach Luis de la Fuente’s squad. There was even discussion over whether the two could be effective playing together.
Pedri, however, has described a different experience playing alongside Rodri. “It’s been said that we don’t work well together. But playing with Rodri is very comfortable,” he said.
The Spanish midfielder added, “He almost never loses the ball, and that helps a lot defensively. We’ll get to know each other even better, and the more matches we play together, the better our understanding will get.”