After helping set up Raphinha for the second goal in Barcelona’s 3-2 win over PSG, Pedri was called a “pure natural talent.”

Pedri clipped a pass over Raphinha’s shoulder, and the former Leeds midfielder ran on to it and volleyed home with the outside of his left foot. France was ahead 2-1 at the half.

TNT Sport commentators Peter Crouch and Rio Ferdinand were blown away by the level of skill in the first game of the Champions League quarterfinal.

Crouch said, “From beginning to end, it’s just beautiful from Pedri.”

“Your heart’s beating fast, you just got to the field.” That pass was made by the calmest man you know at that point in the game; he just came on with a pretty good first touch. Then, don’t take away from the finish—other than the left foot over the shoulder—there was so much to respect technically in that goal.

That pass he makes there is so hard to play straight, especially in the middle of the field, because you have to guess where the goalie is. If it’s an inch or two too far, the goalkeeper runs through it. 

“The defender has it if it’s too short.” With only about half a meter to play with, he hits the ball exactly where it needs to be.

“That cold coming on after 51 seconds, that’s just born with talent.”

The away team took the lead through Raphinha’s rebounded shot in the 37th minute after Gianluigi Donnarumma failed to clear a cross from his box.

Donnarumma looked tense the whole game and made mistakes that almost helped Barcelona score the first goal early in the first half.

But after the break, PSG looked much better. Manager Luis Enrique, who used to play for and coach Barcelona, changed things up by replacing Marco Asensio with forward Bradley Barcola.

Ousmane Dembele, a former Barcelona forward, scored the equalizer in the 48th minute by slamming the ball into the top corner after picking up a rebound inside the box and quickly cutting to his left before firing a shot that could not be stopped between three players.

The home team took the lead two minutes later through Vitinha, who stroked the ball in after a quick counterattack. Bradley Barcola, a replacement, almost scored the third goal a few minutes later, but his close-range shot hit the crossbar.

In the 62nd minute, Raphinha scored with a clever volley after Pedri made a great long pass that tied the game again. The home crowd went silent.

After coming off the bench, Andreas Christensen jumped over Donnarumma who was standing still to head in a corner kick 13 minutes from time, giving Spain a narrow lead going into next week’s second game.