In the second match of the 2024-2025 Champions League qualifying round, Barcelona only had to face Young Boys, a less famous team. After the unexpected defeat against Monaco, Hansi Flick and his team played with more determination and easily won 5-0 against the Swiss representative.
In addition to Lewandowski's double, De Jong also impressed. After 163 days out due to injury, he returned to the squad and adapted quite well under coach Hansi Flick, although he only played the last 15 minutes of the match.
In a press conference, De Jong revealed his joy at playing football again, according to Sport: “I am very happy to be back on the pitch and playing football. I thank the fans for the welcome, I did not expect it. It is really satisfying to see how everyone treats me.
I see the team playing very well since the start of the season. I will give my all. When you are injured, you have a bad time. My injury was long and I had to go through a lot of discomfort."
Frenkie De Jong's return is considered extremely timely, because Barcelona's midfield is very thin. That is when Gavi and Marc Bernal are injured, and Gundogan has also returned to Man City.
In the summer of 2024, De Jong's future has been the subject of much speculation. In addition to not playing as explosively as expected, the Dutch midfielder is also receiving a salary of up to 37.5 million euros/season. If he does not quickly regain his class and role, De Jong can still be sold in the next transfer windows.
