FCBARCELONA.CAT

11.11.2009 13:06

Jonathan, a diamond in reserve

Jordi Clos

The Mexican midfielder featured in the starting line-up for the first time in the Cup match against Cultural Leonesa. He was a regular off the bench in the pre-season and could well prove to be a valuable asset in the near future.

Speaking before the return leg of the R16 Cup game, Tito Vilanova said that the coaches were keen to see Jonathan dos Santos in action for the full 90 minutes. Given that the Barça midfield is likely to lose players at the beginning of 2010 due to the African Cup, the Mexican may well come into his own then. He proved his worth against Cultural Leonesa providing a great assist for Bojan’s second goal and generally putting in a good performance.

Active in attack and defence

Jonathan played on the right next to Andrés Iniesta and completed 76 passes from 87 attempts. He had three efforts on goal, recovered possession five times and made seven blocks, confirming his all-round ability and physical presence.

Fast progress

In the summer, Jonathan played 45 minutes in each of the six pre-season friendlies, including the Joan Gamper match, where he produced a shot that hit the crossbar. He rejoined the reserve squad and has become one of the leaders of a team that is clearly on the up. He was rewarded on 28th October when he came on in place of Keita in the 80th minute of the Cup match in the Reino de León and thus made his competitive first team debut.