Frenkie de Jong, Fati react after Barcelona 3-0 Villarreal: “The three points are important”

After a forgettable week that saw them stumble against Inter Milan and Real Madrid, Barcelona bounced back in style as they cruised past Villarreal to a 3-0 victory at Spotify Camp Nou.

A first-half brace from Robert Lewandowski, followed by an Ansu Fati strike was enough for the Blaugrana to bag all three points against Unai Emery’s side, with the Catalan giants not giving their visitors even a minor sniff at the goal.

Frenkie de Jong was one of the best players for Barcelona on the night as he completely dominated the middle third of the pitch.

Starting in the pivot position ahead of Sergio Busquets, the Dutchman was everywhere, winning back possession and pushing the team forward. He was given a standing ovation by the fans when he was taken off the pitch.

Speaking to the media after the game, de Jong said: “After the bad results against Inter and Madrid we needed to beat a good team like Villarreal, if you win it always helps and the atmosphere in the locker room is much better.”

Talking about his favoured position, the 25-year-old added: “I don’t care where I play, I feel comfortable when I participate a lot and touch the ball a lot.”

There were some concerns about his fitness after he was taken off, but de Jong has put those fears to ease, saying: “I ended up tired, but I’m fine. There’s nothing to worry about.”

The result sees Barcelona move to within three points of La Liga leaders Real Madrid. And they will need to build on this performance when they take on Athletic Club at the weekend.

Ansu Fati, who got a rare start on the night, capped off the display with a goal, showing that he is returning to top form. Speaking after the game, the young forward insisted that it was crucial for Barça to grab the win, as he said:

“We knew we were coming into this after a complicated week, the three points are very important.”

When asked if they had made any changes to the way they played, Fati added: “There was no big change in style, we played with the same idea, some players changed but we had the same style and everyone who started tried to do the best on the field.”

On his own display, Fati said: “Any striker needs to score, but the most important thing is for the team to win.”

About his injury situation, the teenager said: “It’s in the past, I’m fine now.”

On whether he can make it to the Spain squad for the FIFA World Cup, he said: “I have to play, participate and give my best. Playing in the World Cup does not depend on me, there are those who decide. All I have to do is have fun.”

Source: BarçaTV+