Luuk de Jong struck late for FC Barcelona to snatch all three points in a 3-2 win against Levante on Sunday. After missing two games with coronavirus, de Jong scored a stoppage-time header as La Blaugrana cemented their hold on 2nd place in La Liga.
Barcelona are now 15 games unbeaten, the longest run of any European team, and de Jong will be poised to be involved in the Catalan club’s UEFA Europa League quarter-final second leg tie with Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday. Barça salvaged a 1-1 draw in Frankfurt last week and should they overcome the German side at the Camp Nou, they will meet either West Ham United or Lyon in the semifinals.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/i0cAlzHgmk
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 10, 2022
Upon joining Barcelona on loan from Sevilla on transfer deadline day last August, de Jong was by no means on the receiving end of a warm welcome from the Los Culers faithful. The acquisition of the 31-year-old striker did not go down well with club supporters, with De Jong vilified en masse.
His reception by Barça fans certainly did not help his confidence nor his acclimatisation into the team, and he scored one goal in nine appearances under Ronald Koeman before the Dutch manager was dismissed in late October. With the subsequent arrival of Xavi, de Jong featured sparingly and was an unused substitute in five of Xavi’s first seven games in charge.
At the turn of the year de Jong dropped further down the pecking order following the winter additions of attacking players Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ferran Torres and Adama Traore. De Jong has started just five times across four competitions under Xavi, although the Dutch centre-forward has been only too happy to help the team wherever possible.
De Jong has made 10 league appearances under Xavi, six of which have been from the bench, and he has scored five goals since the start of 2022 of which his last three have all been as a late substitute (from the 84th minute onwards). As a sub, de Jong has twice rescued a point for Barça including a 96th minute equaliser against local rivals Espanyol in February.
Most recently the Dutch international netted the winner in a frantic five-goal thriller with relegation-threatened Levante. After scoring the decisive goal, De Jong told the media “I am happy for the team. When they need me, I am here. I have to wait for my opportunities”.
Feels good to be back 💪🏼#LevanteBarça 🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/0nzbbwGkYj
— Luuk de Jong (@LuukdeJong9) April 10, 2022
Barcelona occupy 2nd position in La Liga, trailing arch rivals Real Madrid by 12 points, and level on 60 points with Sevilla. La Blaugrana have eight league games remaining, one more than all of Real, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, and Real Betis.
