Mourinho Deserves Full Credit for His Work at Real Madrid, Says Toni Kroos

Former midfielder Toni Kroos has provided a detailed analysis of the latest El Clásico clash. The German expressed his delight at breaking the side's poor run in the derby, hailing José Mourinho as the mastermind behind Real Madrid's crucial victory over Barcelona at Camp Nou, which kept Los Blancos firmly in the La Liga title race.

"Over the past two years, the matches consistently went Barça's way. Unfortunately, that pattern repeated across six or seven consecutive derbies, and pre-match expectations were much the same, especially given that Madrid were conceding an average of four goals per game in those fixtures. This time, however, the trend was broken, and I must give full credit to Mourinho. The team played fantastically, and his tactical setup was outstanding. Keeping the ball against this Barcelona side is a massive achievement because they suffer immensely when they are denied possession," Kroos remarked.

The German emphasized the courage displayed by the Madrid side: "Real Madrid and Mourinho showed incredible bravery at Camp Nou, which made all the difference compared to previous meetings. The forwards delivered when it mattered most. At the same time, there was real defensive solidity, even after Barça's equalizer when many teams might have settled for a draw. The team played magnificently for a solid 65 minutes."

Kroos highlighted tactical discipline as the key to securing the win: "Real Madrid's positioning across the pitch was exceptional. I was surprised by Huijsen's man-marking job on Fermín. Barcelona players like Pedri and Raphinha looked visibly unsettled and were forced into uncharacteristic mistakes. Madrid won virtually every 50-50 duel through sheer aggression and defended as a unified unit. Barcelona dominate when they control the tempo, but they struggle once their press is broken and they are forced onto the back foot. Real found the antidote and subjected them to the kind of relentless pressure they rarely encounter from other opponents."

Kroos also touched upon Vinícius Júnior's absence and Kylian Mbappé's impact: "Vini doesn't need overcomplicated tricks to cause danger. I would have loved to see him up against Cancelo, who leaves massive pockets of space behind him. However, Vini also needs to contribute defensively, just as Diomande and Bellingham did. Having players of Mbappé and Vinícius's caliber is a dream for midfielders because they are always three strides ahead of the opposition defenders. Arda's connection with Mbappé was also top-tier."

Concluding his thoughts, the former midfielder jokingly apologized for his partisan tone, noting that the fans deserved this moment after a tough spell: "We suffered over the past two years and spent plenty of time searching for answers, so now is the time to celebrate and enjoy the positive momentum. On another note, for a variety of reasons, I wouldn't want PSG winning their third Champions League title either..."