‘We didn’t play well’… Frenkie de Jong expresses his mixed feelings after Barcelona reach the UCL semis | OneFootball

Last night was a special one for FC Barcelona. The Blaugranes made their way to the semi-final stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 2018-19 season and thus continued their march on to a possible treble despite a spirited performance from their opponents.

Borussia Dortmund scored three goals in this second leg but were unable to get the job done as the match ended 3-1, and the tie finished in the Catalan team’s favor with a 5-3 aggregate score.

Still, Barcelona tasted defeat for the first time in 2025, and there was no doubt that Hansi Flick’s team was not at its best level last night.

As a result, Flick and several of his players expressed their disappointment after the game. As Mundo Deportivo has reported, one such player was the midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

The Dutchman admitted that several Blaugrana players were not up to the required level in this game:

“It’s a relief to say that we qualified. We didn’t play well, but it’s hard to explain why. Many players didn’t perform well.”

The Barcelona midfielder went on to express his mixed feelings:

“I think we know we can play much better than we showed tonight, and that leaves us with a bit of a mixed feeling. I’m sure tomorrow we’ll be happier about being in the semis.”

Blaugrana fans would not find it difficult to understand De Jong’s feelings as most of them are experiencing similar emotions. There is no doubt that reaching the semi-finals after such a long break is definitely a commendable achievement, but still, seeing their team end their unbeaten run would remain a thorn from this night.