Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos discussed the club’s impressive 1-2 win over Barcelona in Sunday’s El Clásico and he was quick to praise coach José Mourinho.
“Over the past two years, the Clásicos had been going Barça’s way. Unfortunately, that was the case in the last six or seven meetings, and that’s what we expected before the match, given that Madrid had conceded an average of four goals in those games. But things have changed, and I have to praise Mourinho’s work. They played exceptionally well,
and he set them up brilliantly. Playing out from the back against this Barça side deserves real credit because they struggle when they don’t have possession,” he said.
The German legend also explained that Madrid’s bold approach was crucial in this game.
“Real Madrid and Mourinho were extremely courageous at Camp Nou, and that was a major difference compared with recent Clásicos. The forwards stepped up. There were also periods when they defended well, such as when Barça equalised. At that point, any of us would have taken the draw. They played very well for 65 minutes,” he added.
Kroos also talked about Mourinho’s decision to use Huijsen to man-mark Fermín.
“Real Madrid’s players were well positioned. I was surprised by Huijsen’s marking of Fermín. Barça players such as Pedri and Raphinha looked uncomfortable and were forced into mistakes they don’t usually make. Madrid won almost every duel because they were more intense. They defended as a unit and put in an excellent performance, both defensively and on the ball. Barcelona are the better team in terms of football because they dominate games more than Madrid, but they struggle when their press doesn’t work and they have to defend. Madrid found the solutions to beat them. Barça faced a level of pressure they don’t usually encounter from other teams,” he concluded.
