Barcelona is slowly edging towards the La Liga title after extending the gap up to eleven points with arch-rival Real Madrid following their 1-0 win over Villarreal.
It was not the typical Barcelona performance we used to see a few years ago, but Xavi certainly made progress with the squad, especially in defense and midfield with Ronald Araujo and Frenkie De Jong standing up for the team.
With the win, Barcelona manager Xavi is looking to utilize De Jong’s confidence as a path to their success after initially intending to sell the youngster in order to raise funds for the club.
đź—Ł "He wanted to stay with us so there was no doubt."
Xavi highlights that Frenkie de Jong had no desire to join Manchester United pic.twitter.com/vJP3tRwWkn
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) February 15, 2023
“I think the key is confidence. We are giving him that confidence, he feels he fits in the team, he feels happy, he is enjoying himself, he is important for the team.”- Xavi told to the reports following the win.
“For a midfielder, he is complete. He has all of the qualities to perform well. Today, we struggled to find superiority in the middle but even when things are equal numerically, he is capable of getting out of it and making a difference. He is at a very high level.”- the Barcelona manager further added.
This Frenkie de Jong goal is just magic! ✨ pic.twitter.com/ICqY7X8CoU
— Stop That Barca (@StopThatBarcaa) February 7, 2023
De Jong joined FC Barcelona back in 2019 for €75 million and quickly became a key player in the team’s midfield, showcasing his exceptional passing range, technical ability, and composure on the ball.
The Dutchman played a crucial role in Ajax’s impressive run to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in the 2018-19 season which placed him as one of the most promising young talents in European football.
Only five players who started Ajax’s 2018/19 UCL semi-final are left pic.twitter.com/CZPxQsMWj3
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 2, 2020
Barcelona last won La Liga way back in the 2018/19 season as the Catalan club came closer in the previous season but trailed behind Real Madrid who eventually went away with the trophy.
Xavi Hernandez addressed the disappointment they suffered last time and warned his team not to make the same mistakes again after the position they are in now.
🎙 The highlights from Xavi's pregame press conference#BarçaCelta pic.twitter.com/PJ3GA0TEay
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 9, 2022
“Last season was really tough. We took the lead and somehow failed to grab it. We should not make the same mistakes again,”- Xavi concluded.
