Frenkie de Jong acknowledges Girona’s win
Barcelona fell to Girona 4-2 in an embarrassing loss that sent shockwaves through Camp Nou, leaving midfielder Frenkie de Jong directly addressing the team’s inadequacies.
The highly anticipated match, which was seen as a critical occasion for Xavi’s team to reinforce their La Liga title defense, ended in a painful letdown.
The match was filled with highs and lows, with Robert Lewandowski briefly tying the score following Girona’s early breakthrough, only to have former Real Madrid full-back Miguel Gutierrez restore Girona’s lead.
Despite an inspired attempt in the second half to change the tide, Barcelona lost opportunities, allowing Girona to capitalize in the final minutes and secure victory.
In a post-match interview, Frenkie de Jong admitted that Barcelona deserved to lose. The midfielder admitted to wasted opportunities and the team’s failure to provide a performance worthy of their reputation.
“It’s a tough defeat to take, but we weren’t good. Girona played very well, but it’s our fault”, as per quotes from Marca.
“We haven’t been at the level we need to be. We have not taken care of the ball and I include myself in that. That has cost the game.
“We’re seven points behind now, but there is more than half of the season left. We have to improve.”
However, he remained upbeat about the difficulties that lie ahead in 2024, noting that there is still much to play for in the coming months.
Looking ahead, Xavi may choose to rest key players such as de Jong in the midweek Champions League match against Royal Antwerp in order to manage the squad’s fatigue ahead of the coming league match against Valencia next weekend.
Barcelona is at an important point in the season, and the players are acutely aware of the need to recover and restore their supremacy in the footballing arena.
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