Has Frenkie de Jong done enough to dethrone 21-year-old midfielder at Barcelona? | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have been in excellent form since the start of 2025, rediscovering their winning touch in La Liga while also delivering strong performances in the Champions League. Their impressive run has already yielded silverware, as they clinched the Spanish Super Cup.

Hansi Flick’s men had a November and December to forget, that undid all the good work they had done at the beginning of the season. However, the team has settled down rather well, and with injured players returning, the squad is in a much better place to handle the hectic schedule.

For much of the first half of the season, Barcelona’s starting XI was more or less set in stone, with a number of players out injured and still recovering. This saw the first-choice XI running themselves into the ground.

Hansi Flick, going forward, for the rest of the season, has a few key choices to make. Of course, everyone is going to get game time amid this busy schedule but come the big games, he needs to identify what his first choice starting XI is.

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Frenkie de Jong or Marc Casado?

One major talking point in recent weeks has been the position of Marc Casadó in the team. The 21-year-old Spaniard had an excellent first half of the season but a slight dip in form in recent weeks has coincided with Frenkie de Jong returning to his very best.

Frenkie had a 2024 to forget but since the start of 2025, his performances have been solid and keep getting better with every passing game. The Dutchman has been exceptional in a number of games and he seems much more confident in his abilities.

While he has always been very good on the ball, it’s his defensive acumen that seems to be improving under Hansi Flick. Against Alaves, the Dutchman came on for Casadó at half-time and turned the game on its head.

What Frenkie adds to the team is his ability to drive through midfield with the ball at his feet. He is also a more precise passer than Marc Casadó and especially against La Liga teams that tend to sit deep, he offers so much more than his younger counterpart.

It all depends on the game state:

So, coming back to the question that we are trying to answer in this article: Casadó or De Jong? The answer that makes the most sense is that Hansi Flick’s decision should totally depend on the game state created by the opposition.

Without a doubt, against teams that sit in a low block which is what Barcelona face in most La Liga games, and in games where they don’t expect much attacking threat from the opposition, Frenkie de Jong needs to be the nailed-in starter for Hansi Flick.

That said, in the Champions League especially, or in La Liga in the big games against teams that come with the mindset of taking the game to Barcelona, Marc Casadó should be favored over the Dutch midfield maestro.

Casadó’s ball-winning abilities cannot be understated and against teams that look to attack, the 21-year-old’s ability to control a midfield needs to be utilized. Frenkie can afford to play further forward in such games or wait on the bench to make an impact.

Going forward, one can surely expect Frenkie to enjoy a more prominent role in Hansi Flick’s plans, and rightly so. Ultimately, through the course of the season, both these players are needed for different kinds of games and let’s wait and see how Hansi Flick goes about making a decision.