The 20-year-old Pedri began on the bench as Xavi rotated his lineup forward of a busy week, however the playmaker changed the injured Ousmane Dembélé within the twenty fifth minute.

Girona stymied the league front-runner till Pedri’s fellow substitute, Jordi Alba, discovered him with a low cross at shut vary within the 61st. Pedri, who received the 2021 Golden Boy for the continent’s most promising under-21 participant, is taken into account one of many pillars of Barcelona’s post-Messi rebuild. The Spain midfielder has scored six occasions this season.

FINAL #GironaBarça 0-1

✨ ¡@Pedri 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 el 𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗶! ✨#LaLigaSantander pic.twitter.com/ToIPu5ymQJ

— LaLiga (@LaLiga) January 28, 2023

Xavi’s crew moved six factors away from Real Madrid earlier than the titleholder hosts third-placed Real Sociedad on Sunday on the Liga’s halfway level.

Dembélé requested to be substituted after he was apparently bothered by his left thigh following a dash. Barcelona has but to present any data on his standing. He walked off the sphere and watched the remainder of the sport from the dugout.

The France ahead, who suffered a sequence of accidents in his first seasons with Barcelona, has averted critical damage since getting back from a knee situation in November 2021 and have become one in all its main gamers.

That left Barcelona with out its prime two scorers. Robert Lewandowski, who leads the league with 13 objectives, accomplished a three-game suspension within the league. Forward Ferran Torres was additionally suspended.

Girona coach Michel was despatched off in stoppage time with a direct crimson card for vehemently protesting what he thought was a foul on one in all his gamers.