Frenkie De Jong Drops Xavi Big Hint Following FC Barcelona Masterclass In Real Betis Win

Frenkie de Jong dropped FC Barcelona first team coach Xavi Hernandez a big hint following his team’s impressive 2-1 win against Real Betis on Wednesday night in La Liga.

Again sensational in the heart of midfield, the Netherlands international helped his team edge eight points clear of Real Madrid in the title race.

For Barca’s first goal, he was particularly clever when quickly taking a free kick that liberated a bullet fast Alejandro Balde down the left wing.

The youth academy product then laid off an inch-perfect diagonal pass that missed a series of Betis men and was slotted home by a Raphinha in much need of a confidence booster.

Praised by Mundo Deportivo and SPORT for his high-level performance, De Jong also dropped a hint to his manager, who these days opts for a four-man midfield with either Gavi or Pedri acting as a false left winger.

This strategy often sees De Jong operating as a deeper lying playmaker with Sergio Busquets by his side, and the 25-year-old said during a post-match interview with Movistar that he feels “comfortable playing at the base” of midfield.

“I felt very good, especially in the second half, when we had superiority in midfield,” he also explained.

“Betis is a very difficult opponent, with very good players, they are always intense games [against them] and that is why I am very happy for such an important victory,” De Jong beamed.

“We are two teams that like to attack and sometimes we leave spaces behind that the rival wants to take advantage of”.

“In the last games we always suffered a little, but it is also part of a season,” he offered, as per the one-goal margin wins that Barca continue to eke out.

With Ousmane Dembele injured, Xavi can indeed continue with this formation that seems to bring the best out of his midfielders and has Barca playing some beautiful football.

In this system, it is often just one pure winger that is selected, and Raphinha might get the nod moving forward following his vital goal at the Benito Villamarin worth its weight in the same gold as Barca’s jerseys.

Finally, though, almost a full four years after he joined in a €75mn ($82.5mn) deal from Ajax in 2019, Barca are listening to De Jong and placing him on the field where they can get the most from his undoubted qualities.