Frenkie de Jong shone brightly, helping Barcelona dominate Levante at Camp Nou.
With a 97% pass accuracy rate and a superb goal, Frenkie de Jong became the key player in Barcelona's victory over Levante, keeping pace with Real Madrid.
With Barcelona under immense pressure following their defeat to Girona, Frenkie de Jong delivered a world-class performance to help his team rediscover the joy of victory. The Dutch midfielder not only dictated the tempo but also scored a goal, helping Blaugrana completely stifle Levante at Camp Nou.
The perfect metronome in the midfield.
Under Hansi Flick's guidance, De Jong demonstrated his role as a "metronome" with impressive statistics. In the 90 minutes he was on the pitch, he had 127 touches – the highest number in the match. This dominance showed that every attacking move by Barcelona had to go through the feet of the midfielder wearing the number 21 shirt.
Notably, De Jong achieved a pass accuracy rate of 97%, successfully completing 113 out of 116 passes. Beyond safe ball distribution, he also demonstrated sharp tactical awareness with 6 out of 6 accurate long passes and 20 successful crosses into the final third of the opponent's pitch.
The powerful drilling rig from line two
De Jong's biggest difference in this match was his direct runs into the penalty area. In the 32nd minute, receiving a pass from Cancelo, the Dutch midfielder made an intelligent run before finishing neatly to make it 2-0. His expected goals (xG) of 0.48 and xGOT of 0.58 reflect the extremely high quality of his finishing in this situation.
Besides scoring a goal, De Jong was also a key creative force, creating four chances. If teammates like Lamine Yamal had been more clinical with their finishing in the 22nd and 23rd minutes, De Jong would certainly have had at least one more assist. His total attacking contribution (xG + xA) of 0.94 is a rare figure for a central midfielder.
Defensive ability and control of the game
Not only is De Jong excellent when in possession, but he is also a crucial defensive anchor helping Barcelona maintain a ball possession rate of up to 79%. He won 4 out of 5 ground duels and successfully recovered the ball 5 times. This mobility kept the Blaugrana's midfield solid, thwarting any counter-attack attempts from Levante from afar.
With a score of 8.8 from Fotmob, Frenkie de Jong has solidified his irreplaceable position in Hansi Flick's tactical system. This performance not only brought in three valuable points but also served as a strong affirmation of the Catalan team's ambitions to win La Liga this season.