De Jong was not trusted by coach Xavi at the beginning of the season after a troubled transfer story in the summer of 2022. However, recently, the Dutch midfielder has started the 7th consecutive match in La Liga.
De Jong wasn’t happy to be substituted.
In the derby against Espanyol at Camp Nou, De Jong was on the pitch for 83 minutes. It was a match where Barcelona played not bad, but were still held to a 1-1 draw. The Catalan giants had an early goal from Marcos Alonso, but Joselu’s penalty helped the visitors to have 1 point, in the game there were many penalty cards and both teams were only playing with 10 men.
De Jong admitted to LaLiga TV after the game that he surprised to be replaced, but added it was ‘the coach’s decision’ with a look of disappointment evident on his face. It is also quite understandable for the former Ajax star that this is a game in which he has played well.
With the draw with Espanyol, Barcelona is still leading the La Liga table, but has the same 38 points as Real Madrid and is only above thanks to the sub-index.
Minh Tuan | 05:18 01/01/2023
