Villarreal pushed Barca all the way, with De Jong happy to finish the first-half of the season top of the LaLiga.
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He remarked afterwards: "Very happy. We finished the year as leaders, which was the goal. Now it's time to rest.
"Villarreal breaks quickly, they have fast and talented players up front. We need to manage that a bit better. When we attack, we need to be better organized. On the pitch, I always felt we were superior. I wouldn't say comfortable, but I think it's a deserved victory."
De Jong added, "We're doing well. It's not the time for trophies, but we're doing well, we're on the right track. We're top of the league, we're in the Cup and the Champions League. We're still in contention. We're happy."