Barcelona were on the receiving end of a 2-1 defeat against Real Madrid in the first Clasico of the campaign on October 26 at Santiago Bernabeu.
While Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham were able to find the back of the net once each to secure the win for Real Madrid, Barcelona had to make do with their sole goal netted by Fermin Lopez after being assisted by Marcus Rashford.
Even though Barcelona were able to hold onto their possession on the pitch on Sunday, the lapses in their defense played a part in the Catalan side’s defeat.
Barcelona’s underwhelming display in their defense brought in criticism for head coach Hansi Flick, who had to observe the game from the stands due to suspension.
And now, former Real Madrid star Toni Kroos has also raised questions about Flick’s decision about his backline against Los Blancos, pointing out the German manager’s centre-back selection as a major issue in their loss.
What did Toni Kroos say about Barcelona’s loss against Real Madrid?
While speaking on his podcast Einfach mal Luppen, Kroos mentioned that Ronald Araujo would have been a better choice for the Clasico instead of Eric Garcia and said,
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“In the centre of defence, I don’t understand why Garcia is playing. Football-wise, he’s slightly better than Araujo, but Araujo has the physical strength to chase down opponents more, especially when you’re defending so high up the pitch. He would have been the ideal player for that style of play and that opponent,” as per GOAL.
“When you have Mbappe and VinĂcius up against you, you need someone who can match that pace. Araujo can do that. I was very surprised by his absence.”
Kroos then spoke about Barcelona being unable to find an ideal replacement for Inigo Martinez, who joined Al-Nassr in the summer, and added,
“I already mentioned it at the time: Inigo Martinez was very important. Last year, he was Barca’s centre-back with the best ball distribution. He wasn’t the fastest, but he was an excellent defender and had great build-up play.”
“Against Real Madrid, his absence was noticeable when the team suffered under their high press. They didn’t replace him, and that’s taking its toll.”
Kroos also addressed Barca’s absentees due to injuries and concluded,
“It’s fair to say that Baraa arrived very weakened: from the goalkeeper to the coach. They were missing key players like Raphinha, Dani Olmo and Lewandowski.”
With the loss against Real Madrid, Barcelona continue to rank second in La Liga with a five-point difference from table toppers Los Blancos, and will be hoping to close the gap in their next league game against Elche at Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium on November 2.
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