Struggling Barcelona midfield star is now finding his redemption – Report | OneFootball

FC Barcelona is a team that lives and breathes competition, and for all the right reasons. The Catalan giants are aiming to compete for every possible title this season, and that requires a determined squad backing up that objective. Fortunate for Hansi Flick, his Barcelona players seem determined enough.

Even through injuries and other issues, namely the registration-related ones, the team has showcased their depth and quality in various games. When one player seems to be struggling, Flick almost always has an option that can come on as an alternative.

However, it seems that a certain young midfielder is now getting upstaged by a player who was previously struggling to find his best version after a rather rough 2024. As highlight by SPORT, Marc Casado’s spot in Hansi Flick’s Barcelona may now be all Frenkie de Jong’s to take.

The Dutchman has well and truly found himself again, and his recent performances have simply been outstanding. Much more composed and in control, the Barcelona captain is showcasing all the maturity that Hansi Flick needs out of him and he has been a solution for the coach in some cagey games.

Even against Alaves in the recent 1-0 victory, De Jong was the player who unlocked Barcelona in the second half after coming on. Whereas Casado seemed to be out of ideas and a bit sloppy at times, the Dutch midfielder was the complete opposite and he ended the game with a strong performance.

Even the Alaves head coach, Eduardo Coudet, acknowledged that the midfielder’s entry ended up making things difficult for his team:

“Barça was better in the second half, especially after De Jong came on and made things difficult for us. That’s when they started breaking lines and creating more chances.”

With 41 passes completed with a 100% accuracy and winning every individual duel, Frenkie de Jong’s return to form comes at the ideal time for Barcelona. However, it now remains to be seen if Flick trusts Casado more or De Jong in the crucial stages of the season now.

As it stands, the latter definitely seems to have won over Flick and even the fans. The crowd has been applauding the player in recent games, and his redemption arc seems to have finally come around after a rather troublesome ankle injury that was hindering him before.