Barcelona captain Frenkie de Jong has not been enjoying his best spell as a footballer in recent months.
After several months sidelined with an ankle injury, his return to action did not immediately bring back the form he had previously shown and he had to make do with a spot on the bench more often than not.
As often happens in such situations, speculation and rumours about his future began to circulate while he was also on the receiving end of some whistles from the Barça fans in the game against Brest.
Meanwhile, manager Hansi Flick, in a recent press conference, mentioned that Dutch international needed to regain his confidence after an extended spell out on the sidelines.
Mallorca cameo the turning point?
If confidence was what De Jong needed, his performance last night in the 5-1 win over Mallorca could very well mark a turning point.
Frenkie scored and assisted a goal vs Mallorca. (Photo by Rafa Babot/Getty Images)
The Dutch midfielder scored a goal and provided an assist within the 18 minutes he played on the pitch. However, his performance was beyond just the goal and the assist.
Indeed, De Jong displayed his usual class with the ball, alongside a high level of verticality, pressing, and leadership in his short time on the pitch at Son Moix.
The 27-year-old did so while playing in a different role than Flick had typically assigned to him when the coach had been able to call upon him.
De Jong took up a more advanced position, acting as an attacking midfielder, with Gavi and Eric Garcia alongside him in a double pivot. This new freedom allowed him to press higher up the pitch and drive the ball forward.
It will now be up to De Jong to build on this performance and maintain this level of play in future opportunities.