With Marc Andre Ter Stegen out with injury and Sergi Roberto not playing much, FC Barcelona have been captained by the defender Ronald Araujo in the last two games. In both these games, especially in the last one, the Uruguayan gave a performance justifying his armband.
Araujo was one of the most important players on the pitch last night, as he, along with Kounde and Christensen, kept the dangerous Atletico Madrid attackers in check.
Araujo was played in the center of the defense last night, with Kounde moving back to the right flank for this match. This positioning of the defenders proved to be highly effective for the Blaugranes.
As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the Uruguayan also talked to the media after the match, and gave his feedback on this match and overall progression under Xavi:
“We had many chances to score the second or third goal, but they didn’t go in. Iñaki did very well, it’s a very important victory. We have a lot of confidence in the work we are doing with the coach. Results weren’t coming our way, and we knew today we had to step up.”
Joao Felix has been at the center of the media spotlight in the build-up to this match because of his association with Atletico Madrid. However, Araujo claimed that this did not had any negative impact on the forward, who remained calm throughout the match:
“He said he was calm, he wanted to prove himself even though he said it was just another game for him. I am very happy with his performance.”
Lastly, the Barcelona defender particularly praised Inaki Pena for his performance between the sticks in this match:
“I’ve known Iñaki since the Barça B days; he’s always been working hard despite competing with Ter Stegen. I’m very happy with his great performance and how he’s helping us.”
