Opinion: Athletic Bilbao 1-0 Barcelona - 5 players who were responsible for the Catalans' defeat

#2 Frenkie de Jong

FC Barcelona v Arsenal - Pre-Season Friendly

Frenkie de Jong was Barcelona's standout player during preseason, with the 22-year-old earning rave reviews in every single game played by the Catalans, and fans would have been excited to finally see him don the colours of Barcelona in competitive action.

However, the former Ajax man looked a shadow of the player he was during preseason, failing to impose his will on the match or dictate proceedings through the middle.

The Ballon d'Or nominee was started at the base of midfield in Sergio Busquet's stead, but there was no composed efficiency in ball distribution which was a hallmark of his game during preseason, while he particularly struggled against the high pressing deployed by Athletic Bilbao, with Raul Garcia winning the ball off him on a number of occasions.

Frenkie de Jong saw his output improve somewhat in the second half upon the introduction of Ivan Rkitic, but generally, it was a subdued performance by the Dutch international and fans would expect improved displays from the man expected to lead their midfield for at least the next decade.