The German star Toni Kroos spoke about Barcelona's defensive choices in the recent Clasico, which ended with Real Madrid winning 2-1, expressing his surprise at the inclusion of Eric Garcia instead of Ronald Araujo in the starting lineup.

Kroos said: "I don't understand why Eric Garcia played. Yes, he is a little better than Araujo with the ball, but Araujo has the physical strength needed to chase the opponent, especially when defending with a high line. He was the ideal choice for this style and this opponent. Honestly, I can't understand his decision."

He added: "When you face Mbappe and Vinicius, you need a player who matches their speed, and that's what Araujo has. His absence surprised me a lot."

He continued: "Inigo Martinez was very important in Barcelona's system; last season he was the best defender in building play. True, he is not the fastest, but he is excellent in defense and building attacks. Against Madrid, they missed his presence when facing high pressure, and they didn't compensate for him, which affected them a lot."

He concluded by saying: "We must be fair; Barcelona arrived exhausted: from the goalkeeper to the coach who was not on the bench. They also missed Rafinha, Dani Olmo, and Lewandowski, and this makes a big difference in a match of this level. Their level will definitely rise later."