"Where to fill the apology form?","Changed my LIFE" - Barcelona fans forced to change opinion on 28-year-old star after display in win vs Girona

Barcelona fans on social media have praised and apologized to Frenkie de Jong after his display ensured their 2-1 win over Girona in La Liga. Both sides returned to league action at the Olimpic Lluis Companys stadium on Saturday, October 18.

Pedri Gonzalez opened the scoring for the hosts after placing his effort beyond the reach of Paulo Gazzaniga in the 13th minute. Seven minutes later (20’), Axel Witsel scored a remarkable overhead kick to make the scoreline 1-1.

In added time (90+3’), De Jong released a promising pass to Ronald Araujo, who placed his strike into the net to secure a late 2-1 win for Barcelona. Meanwhile, De Jong, who has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks, was one of the brains behind the victory.

He delivered three key passes, created one big chance, and won two out of two ground duels contested (via Sofascore). In the game's aftermath, fans on X tendered their apology to the Dutchman for recently criticizing him.

Some fans tweeted:

"Where to fill the apology form for de Jong?.”

"Frenkie De Jong CAM shift tonight changed my LIFE.”

Others added:

"Told us that he would come on as a striker - Toni Fernandez on what Ronald Araujo told his teammates before scoring Barcelona's winning goal against Girona

FC Barca v Como1907 - Joan Gamper Trophy - Source: Getty

Barcelona's winger Toni Fernandez has revealed that Ronald Araujo told his teammates that he would score against Girona. This comes after the defender scored a last-minute goal to secure a victory for the La Liga giants in the encounter against Miguel Ángel Sánchez’s side.

In an interview after the late win, Fernandez said (via Barca Universal on X):

"Ronald Araujo told us that he would come on as a striker and score, and it came true."

Barcelona's manager Hansi Flick also revealed (via Barca Universal on X):

"Ronald Araujo had told me he was willing to play as a striker. I'm very happy for him."

During the encounter, Araujo came in as a replacement for Marc Casado in the 82nd minute. He likewise helped his side to secure a much-needed victory, having suffered back-to-back defeats before the game against Girona.

Meanwhile, the defending La Liga champions have now surpassed Real Madrid as the league leaders. They have secured 22 points from nine league games and are one point ahead of Xabi Alonso's side (21), who have a game in hand.

About the author

Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

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Edited by Abel Yisa