FC Barcelona dismantled Young Boys 5-0 in the Champions League to get off the mark for the season. It was a statement performance from a team that lost their league encounter to Osasuna last weekend and needed to bounce back.
The pressure was on the players, especially because the club lost their opening encounter in the competition to AS Monaco after Eric Garcia was sent off. This game was important, result-wise and Barcelona got the job done.
One player who made a much-awaited return from injury against Young Boys was Frenkie de Jong. The Dutch midfield star has been missing since April in what has turned out to be a niggling injury and so much has been said about him in the meantime.
A huge deal was made of his decision not to undergo surgery. However, the 27-year-old remained patient throughout it all and finally got the chance to make a cameo last night.
After the game, Frenkie spoke to the media, as quoted by SPORT, and was understandably elated by his comeback. He also had a special mention for the fans, who gave him a rousing reception that he didn’t expect and that actually surprised him. Here is what he had to say:
“I’m very happy to be back on the pitch and playing football. I thank the fans for the welcome, I didn’t expect it, and I’m happy with the way people treat me.”
Can we blame Frenkie? He has not received the same kind of affection from the fans as some of the other players. However, it would be a good feeling for the €70m-rated Dutchman to have received generous applause from the fans last night.
Frenkie looked sharp in the minutes he played and there were no signs of rustiness. He was eager, flying into tackles and perhaps often putting Flick’s heart in his mouth with the amount of running he was doing on the pitch.
The 27-year-old is a profile that Flick values and the German has the chance to get the best out of him at the club. Only time will tell if Frenkie returns to his previous, dominant version and how he performs going forward.