FC Barcelona secured an important 4-2 win over Celta Vigo at Balaidos on Sunday night, which helped them close the gap to Real Madrid to just three points.
A hat-trick from Robert Lewandowski and a goal from Lamine Yamal were enough to see Hansi Flick’s men emerge with three points in what has always been a difficult away trip for the Catalan giants.
One Barcelona player who was stupendous against Celta and had a truly remarkable game was Frenkie de Jong. The Dutchman put on a masterclass of single-handedly controlling the midfield.
According to SofaScore, Frenkie played the entirety of the game except for the last minute, registering an xG of 0.04 and an xA of 0.21. This included 1 key pass.
He recorded 131 touches of the ball, completing 116 out of 120 passes with a remarkable accuracy of 97%. This included 88/91 in the opposition’s half and 28/29 in his own.
Frenkie also completed all 3 of his attempted long balls. He completed his only attempted dribble successfully and was fouled 3 times.
The 28-year-old was successful with 1 out of his 2 tackles, made 1 interception, 3 recoveries, and won 6 out of 9 ground duels. He covered every blade of grass in what was a truly energetic performance.
Even a late red card, for what was honestly a soft foul, cannot undermine the masterclass that Frenkie showcased against the Galician side.
It was the kind of performance that further underlined why Barcelona renewed his contract and just how important he is to Hansi Flick’s team.
With two attack-minded number 10s alongside him in Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez, Frenkie had to shoulder all the responsibility and, boy, he emerged as a champion.
In the absence of Pedri, Frenkie has taken his game to another level, rolling back the clock to his Ajax days. Long may it continue in a Blaugrana shirt.
Frenkie de Jong’s Impressive Stats in 4-2 Barcelona Win vs Celta Vigo
| xG: | 0.04 |
| xA: | 0.21 |
| Key passes | 1 |
| Touches | 131 |
| Passes: | 116/120 (97%) |
| Passes in the opposition half | 28/29 (97%) |
| Passes in own half | 88/91 (97%) |
| Long balls | 3/3 |
| Dribbles completed | 1/1 |
| Times fouled | 3 |
| Tackles won | 1/2 |
| Interceptions | 1 |
| Recoveries | 3 |
| Ground duels won | 6/9 |
| Discipline | Late red card (second yellow) |
