Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong has revealed Barcelona urged him to ‘try and eliminate Real Madrid from the Champions League’.
De Jong is set to join Barcelona at the end of the season for a reported £75m fee and was part of the Ajax side that pulled off an incredible 4-1 win over Madrid at the Bernabeu on Tuesday.
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- De Jong is set to join Barca in the summer for a reported £75m fee.
- The 21-year-old was part of the Ajax side that beat Real Madrid 4-1 at the Bernabeu on Tuesday.
- That result sealed a 5-3 aggregate win, with De Jong winning 100% of his tackles and having a 91% pass completion in the second leg.
- De Jong has revealed Barcelona urged him to ‘knock out Real Madrid’ upon agreeing his Blaugrana deal.
- The win over Madrid sends Ajax to their first Champions League quarter-final since 2003.
That result sealed a remarkable 5-3 win over the Dutch giants, ending Real Madrid’s run of four Champions League titles in five years and stopping Los Blancos reaching the semi-finals for the first time in nine seasons.
And speaking before the game, De Jong revealed what his future employers wanted him to do in the Spanish capital tie.
“I spoke to them when I signed the contract and they told me to try to knock out Real Madrid, as that would be great for Barca too,” De Jong told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.
On the domestic front, Ajax face Fortuna Sittard on Sunday as they chase down a five-point gap to PSV at the top of the Eredivisie table.
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De Jong’s Bernabeu masterclass
Any fears over De Jong’s ability to translate his Ajax form to La Liga will have been allayed during Tuesday’s shock result, with the 21-year-old putting in a midfield masterclass against Barca’s fiercest rivals.
The Holland international was a rock in front of the Ajax defence, winning 100% of his tackles and aerial duels, while he also made six ball recoveries and three clearances.
Frenkie de Jong's game by numbers vs. Real Madrid:
100% tackles won
100% aerials won
91% passing accuracy
75 touches
6 ball recoveries
3 clearances
2 take-ons completed
1 interception
1 shot blocked
1 foul wonAlready got that winning feeling at the Bernabéu.
pic.twitter.com/100ueoXbmU
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 5, 2019
De Jong was supreme in possession too, having 75 touches of the ball, completing two take-ons and ending the game with a passing accuracy of 91%.
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