Pedri scored another wonderful goal to help Barcelona beat a resolute Savilla at Camp Nou and move to second place in the La Liga table.
A solitary goal was enough for the Blaugrana to leapfrog the visitors after tying them on 57 points but with a game in hand.
A win also kept alive Barcelona’s longest unbeaten streak in Europe’s top 5 leagues at 14.
Sevilla were decidedly second best for much of the contest, but their resolution kept the hosts off the board.
After a scoreless first half, Barca began to turn the tide of the game in their favor in the second half, creating several chances but were unable to break the deadlock.
Eventually, the breakthrough came in the 72nd minute from another moment of footballing magic from Pedri.
The 19-year-old midfielder took a harmless pass from Dembele, feigned two shots, coaxing defenders to leave their feet, before finally threading an inch-perfect 18-yard finish into the far corner.
Xavi was effusive in his praise of the Spain international, likening Pedri’s attributes to those of the coach’s when he wore the armband for the Blaugrana.
Barcelona will look to continue their momentum next on Thursday when they resume their Europa League campaign at Eintracht Frankfurt.
