In the European Championship's first heavyweight meeting, Spain are pinning their hopes on a lightweight. Midfield star Pedri is showing fine form ahead of the premiere against Croatia.
As an 18-year-old, Pedri made a strong impact in the last European Championship, when Spain reached the semi-final. Since then, repeated injury problems have partly halted the little Spaniard's development, but just in time for the European Championship, top form seems to have arrived.
Pedri returned from thigh problems in April and has been playing regularly since then. He scored two of Spain's goals in the warm-up, 5–1 against Northern Ireland.
I've worked so much, after several setbacks, to reach the end of the season in good form, says the 21-year-old playmaker.
I think I'm much better than before and I believe you saw in my first goal that I've left the injury behind.
Pedri's Spain are in the European Championship's tough Group B alongside Croatia, Italy, and Albania. In the premiere against Croatia in Berlin on Saturday evening, a small "mini-clásico" awaits on the midfield where Pedri will face Real Madrid's 38-year-old veteran Luka Modric.
In Spain, there has been debate about where on the midfield Pedri is most useful, but national team coach Luis de la Fuente seems determined to have the Barça player's quick feet high up the pitch.
We want him to play closer to the opponent's penalty area, in the areas between the teams, to be able to have the ball near the goal. I think we can get a lot out of him, says de la Fuente.
Spain won the European Championship in 2008, the World Championship in 2010, and the European Championship in 2012, but have not been in any major championship final since then.
Croatia, meanwhile, have taken silver and bronze in the last two World Championship tournaments and beat Portugal, 2–1, in the European Championship warm-up.
Later on Saturday evening, Italy and Albania meet in Dortmund.
