'Barcelona have nothing to celebrate' - Frenkie de Jong not getting carried away as Catalans take advantage of Real Madrid struggles

Frenkie de Jong has emphasized that Barcelona should remain grounded and avoid getting carried away after their narrow 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano on Monday night. The win brought Barcelona’s points tally to 51 after 24 games, putting them level with Real Madrid at the top of the LaLiga standings.

After the first 12 games, Barcelona had bagged 33 points, gaining a sizable early lead of six points over their bitter rivals. Jump to the end of January, and Real Madrid had turned the tables, gaining a seven-point lead over the Catalans.

Real Madrid, however, have dropped seven points in their last three league matches, allowing Barcelona to capitalize and overtake Carlo Ancelotti's side at the top of the La Liga table. Despite Madrid’s recent dip in form and Barcelona finding their stride, De Jong remains focused, acknowledging that the title race is far from over and will likely go down to the wire.

“Happy with the win and first place, but there’s still a long way to go, we’re all very close in the standings and there’s nothing to celebrate,” De Jong told reporters on Monday (h/t Mundo Deportivo).

After having a difficult first half of the season, where the De Jong was dealing with injury issues, the Dutchman has found his way into the starting lineup under Hansi Flick. There were reports that the former Ajax man would depart at the end of this season, but recent reports suggest that he is keen to stay in Catalonia, with Barca also planning to offer a new deal.