In numbers: Barcelona captain comes up clutch in dominant win over Elche | OneFootball

With Marc-Andre Ter Stegen leaving the club in January on a six-month loan deal, Frenkie de Jong takes over as the team’s regular on-field captain given that Ronald Araujo is still not a regular starter this season.

The Dutchman, thus, took to the field against Elche last night with a double responsibility on his shoulders – the captaincy as well as the responsibility of leading the midfield without Pedri.

To pull off a performance as he did with the pressure he was under, needless to say, is commendable for he was one of the team’s best players on the night.

A captain’s performance

De Jong dominated the midfield against Elche and single-handedly took charge of both Barcelona’s attacking transitions, possession play, and pressure-system off the ball.

For starters, he provided the assist for Ferran Torres’ equaliser on the night, and in the process also recorded his sixth assist of the season and fifth in La Liga.

In addition to the direct goal contribution, the midfielder had 71 touches and completed 92% of his passes on the night. He created four big chances and had five key passes against Elche in 90 minutes.

De Jong was one of Barcelona’s best players last night. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Defensively, he had six ball recoveries, one interception, and won one aerial duel. He did earn one yellow card and is now just one sanction away from being suspended.

All in all, his performance was one worthy of the captain’s armband, especially given the circumstances it came under. His importance in the team is now at an all-time high, and the manager will hope he can keep up the same level going forward this season.

De Jong already has 17 appearances and 14 starts for Barcelona in La Liga this season with a total of over 1300 minutes played. He also has seven appearances in the UEFA Champions League, one in the Copa del Rey, and two in the Spanish Super Cup.