"Back on fraud watch", "Defensively, he is absolutely terrible" - Fans unhappy with Barcelona star despite 3-1 win against Espanyol

Barcelona fans were unhappy with Frenkie de Jong’s performance despite the side’s victory over Espanyol. La Blaugrana defeated their counterparts 3-1 in the Derbi Barceloni at the Estadi Olympic Lluis Companys on Sunday, November 3.

Hansi Flick's side won the game after a sublime first-half performance. Goals from Dani Olmo (12’, 31’) and Raphinha (23’) gave Barcelona a comfortable lead at the break. Espanyol pulled a goal back in the 63rd minute via Javi Puado, but the match was already won with the home side dominating for most of the game.

De Jong started the game from the bench but was called into action in the 56th minute, replacing Marc Casado. He had an underwhelming game by his standards. In 34 minutes on the pitch, the 26-year-old had 53 touches, completed just one key pass, took no shots, and lost possession three times.

The Dutchman recently returned from a long spell on the sidelines and has slowly been reintegrated into the team by the manager. He is yet to return to his best form and fans pointed this out after the game.

One fan wrote on X:

“Great win. Frenkie de Jong is back on fraud watch tho.”

Another fan tweeted:

“The frenkie cameo just showed why he should not be anywhere near the starting line-up for now. Defensively, he is absolutely terrible.”

Some fans rated Casado above the Dutchman in Barcelona's midfield.

“Frenkie doesn’t command that position like Casado. It’s just not him,” a fan said.

“Frenkie was so much worse than him in the second half. Casado Is elite at everything i swear,” another added.

“Who noticed that Frenkie De Jong came on and the game slowed down too much. I think Flick put him on too early,” a fan opined.

“Fairs bro Frenkie should learn Chinese asap,” chimed in a fan.

“Frenkie is too nonchalant,” yet another fan claimed.

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Barcelona manager Hansi Flick speaks after Espanyol win

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick admitted that his side did not perform at their best against Espanyol. The Catalan club continued their fine form with a 3-1 victory in the Derby Barceloni. A brace from Dani Olmo and a Raphinha strike in the first half was enough to seal all three points for La Blaugrana.

However, Flick claimed that his team failed to control the game in the second half. He said (via Football Espana):

"A derby is always complicated. In the first half we showed a good level, but in general we didn’t play as we usually do, we lost too many balls and we were penalised in the second half. The important thing is the victory and I would highlight the concentration of all the players, some of them very young."

Flick added:

"In the second half we lacked pressure on the one who had the ball and we had some problems because of that."

Barcelona consolidated their lead at the top of LaLiga with this win. They are now nine points ahead of rivals Real Madrid who are second in the standings but have a game in hand.

The league leaders next play Crvenda Zvezda in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, October 6. Their next league fixture will be away at Real Sociedad on Sunday, November 10.