Flick wins his bet on the Barcelona star

Hansi Flick's gamble on Frenkie de Jong has paid off. The Dutchman proved he can be a reliable option in the back line to cover Barcelona's absences.

Newspaper Sport reported that De Jong stole the spotlight as Barcelona thrashed Deportivo Alavés 6-1, lining up in defence rather than midfield.

De Jong returned to the starting line-up against Alavés after picking up some minutes in the Clasico against Real Madrid, his first outing since recovering from injury.

His last start came all the way back on 22 February, when he played the full 90 minutes in the win over Levante and even got on the scoresheet.

The real story, though, was not simply De Jong's return to Flick's plans. It was where he played. The Netherlands international lined up alongside Pau Cubarsi in a defence ravaged by absences.

With so many players sidelined through injury, Flick had already hinted he might turn to De Jong at centre-back.

Barcelona dominated their opponents with ease, and having a midfielder sit deeper gave the team more tactical flexibility. De Jong's presence meant the build-up no longer leaned so heavily on Cubarsi. Instead, it spread across the side.

His forward runs with the ball added extra options at the start of attacks, helped by the way he swapped positions with Rodri. The pivot always reads the flow of play perfectly and helps teammates find better spaces on the pitch.

Defending was the big question mark. De Jong had played centre-back before, at Ajax, with the Netherlands and even on the odd occasion for Barcelona under Ronald Koeman.

Against Alavés he found some difficulties in one-on-one duels and at times took risks stepping out to defend and press. Those details aside, he turned in a very solid display, stayed focused throughout and anticipated his opponents' movements time and again.

He stood out for his timing in nicking the ball and for dropping back when needed. One of his finest moments was a decisive recovery that denied Lucas Boye a chance to score.