Former Real Madrid Player Benito: Rodri and Pedri Are Not Incompatible

Former Real Madrid player Álvaro Benito said on Cadena SER that Rodri and Pedri are not incompatible, and that Rodri can further improve Barcelona's strength.

Rodri joined Barcelona this summer, bringing additional quality to the team. The former Manchester City player arrived in Barcelona shortly after winning the World Cup, and at the time he was still hesitating between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Flick's plan attracted him more, and the recent match against Valencia at Mestalla proved that.

Rodri started against Valencia and played alongside Pedri and Fermín. This position suited him very well, and he himself was surprised by how smoothly the game flowed. The Movistar program “El Día Después” captured this moment.

Before Rodri's arrival, there had been speculation over whether he could coexist with Pedri, because the two had already shown with the Spanish national team that they occupy similar areas on the pitch, and some believed they lacked chemistry. However, nobody questioned their ability, as both are regarded as “world-class.” Asked about this topic on Cadena SER, Álvaro Benito said: “There is no reason to say they are incompatible. Who can give one reason?”

The commentator, who also works for Movistar+, also discussed Rodri's adaptation to Barcelona. He said: “They do not occupy the same space, and they are not the same type of player. A few days ago I unconsciously noticed a pattern. When Rodri is on the pitch, Pedri does not drop deep to build play because Rodri himself can handle that job. When Rodri comes off, Pedri drops back to help, and he does it unconsciously as well.”

Álvaro Benito believes Barcelona already had a well-equipped defensive midfield position before signing Rodri. The team had Bernal, Frenkie de Jong—who could return to the role if he recovers from injury—and Casadó, whose performance last season was also quite good.

Despite this, the former Real Madrid player believes that when there is an opportunity to sign a player of Rodri's level, it is almost impossible to miss such a chance, especially because Rodri can improve the entire team.

Flick had originally already arranged this position, but a player like Rodri was simply impossible to refuse. Álvaro Benito concluded: “A world-class player... Barcelona did not need a defensive midfielder, Bernal, a recovered Frenkie de Jong, and even Casadó had already covered this position, but Rodri is the best player in the world in this position. How could you not make the team stronger?”