"There is so much work that Frenkie de Jong does that often goes unnoticed, but he was certainly noticeable in Tuesday night's game. Whether making those lung-bursting runds from deep to supplement the attack, often travelling with the ball himself, or battling hard in midfield and defence to win back possession, the Dutchman was at the heart of everything good that Barca did against Albacete."
"Barca were made to work for their win against a side that weren't to be underestimated. Hansi Flick had to temper his team selection in the knowledge that if he played too many big names on the astro pitch and injuries resulted, he would be castigated by the support. Equally, by not fielding a decent starting XI, it might be said that he wasn't showing Albacete the respect they'd earned after dumping out Celta and Real Madrid."
Albacete upset top-flight opponents earlier in the competition, beating Real Madrid for the first time in 15 attempts and eliminating Celta Vigo. Barcelona faced a dangerous cup opponent and responded with concentrated effort to avoid a similar exit. Frenkie de Jong provided energetic driving runs, ball-carrying and defensive work that anchored Barcelona's play, particularly in the absence of Pedri's calm. Hansi Flick balanced his starting lineup and substitutions to manage injury risk on the astro pitch while maintaining control of the match. The tactical caution and individual work-rate combined to secure a narrow win.
Read at Barca Blaugranes
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