Barcelona need Lionel Messi and Frenkie de Jong’s partnership.
Barcelona have had a few years go by without their original institution of football being played. New manager Ronald Koeman has been trying to bring their original attacking style of playback to life and Lionel Messi alongside Frenkie de Jong have played a huge part in it.
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De Jong has only missed one game so far this season and he has been an absolute asset for the La Liga side. Same with Messi who has had only one game out where he was on the bench in a la Liga tie against Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis.
Lionel Messi and Frenkie De Jong have been two of the most key players in Barcelona in terms of service. They have put in a lot of minutes already without any proper rotation or rest. Hence, the former Everton manager has made it his absolute target to increase the partnership intensity between the two. The Dutch midfielder plays centrally while Leo drops down to midfield to create the game and play make.
Both the Argentine international and the Dutchman have had a higher number of passes and chances created amongst all the current players at the Nou Camp. The Argentine however has had only one goal from open play this season and that too came right before the current international break that is going on. However, the role of Messi over the last few years has been more than just goals. While the magician has had an innumerable amount of goals, he has also simultaneously dropped down to create chances and play the role of a playmaker.
De Jong on the other hand is extremely young and the Blaugrana have a talent like him tied down for quite a while now. Hence, Koeman has it in his main list of goals to improve the link-up heavily between the young Dutchman and the Argentine veteran. Their partnership will be extremely key to the success that Barcelona may or may not get this season.
Will De Jong and Messi successfully partner up to bring Barca trophies this season?