Javier Mascherano said that Pedro is “a magician” after the attacker’s extra-time goal gave Barcelona a 5-4 win over Sevilla in the Uefa Super Cup on Tuesday.
The Spain attacker is poised to make a £22.3 million move away from Camp Nou to Manchester United in the days ahead but struck a winner in the 115th minute to end a pulsating game in which the Andalucians had fought back from 4-1 down to force an additional period.
Mascherano hopes that Pedro, 27, might yet remain with the Catalans as he is capable of such decisive contributions.
“Hopefully he can stay here,” the Argentine said after the fixture. “He’s one of those players who’s great on big occasions. He’s been a magician since he joined us. He plays for special moments like this.”
Speaking of the game, Mascherano was not pleased it became as entertaining as it did.
“Neutral fans won’t have seen such a spectacle before,” he stated. “But from our side, we feel some frustration. We had things in our hands but let go of it. We must improve things because we made mistakes that complicated life.
“We fell away and let them into the game. We didn’t control the game when we had to, but we had individual talent that let us win another title.”
