"Barcelona's most serious problem": Kroos attacks Flick's philosophy and gives an exceptional assessment of Yamal

Despite his admiration for the football Barcelona play under Hansi Flick, Toni Kroos, the Real Madrid legend, does not believe the team lacks some of the ingredients to compete for the Champions League title, warning that its attacking style could turn into a weakness against opponents capable of exploiting the spaces behind their high defensive line.

Kroos placed Barcelona alongside Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain among Europe's strongest sides. Attacking superiority, though, does not guarantee continental success. He pointed to the clash with Atletico Madrid and the trouble the Catalans endured against Paris Saint-Germain, when they ran into opponents who know how to close down spaces and limit their threat.

The newspaper Sport carried the German's remarks from his own podcast: "Barcelona always try to create more chances than their opponents, but in the Champions League you face teams that can score several goals in a single match. You also face opponents who defend exceptionally and do not let you play your usual style, and then you have to know how to defend yourself."

Lamine Yamal, by contrast, drew exceptional praise from Kroos, who lingered on his performance against Atletico Madrid. "Lamine Yamal's first 25 minutes were absolutely exceptional. It is the kind of performance that makes you believe one player can change a match on his own. Every dangerous Barcelona attack seemed to go through him, and that was not because his teammates were finding him in ideal positions, but because he was creating the advantage himself, beating opponents and creating chances thanks to his individual brilliance. At one moment he makes you imagine as if he is telling his teammates: just pass me the ball, and we will turn the match around."

The former Real Madrid man turned to what he sees as the squad's gravest flaw: the absence of defenders who can handle one-on-one situations once an opponent beats the high press and finds vast space behind the defensive line. Kroos cited Bayern Munich's Dayot Upamecano. Barcelona, he reckons, have nobody they can leave alone against a striker, with 30 metres of space behind him, and trust to contain the situation.

Pau Cubarsi escaped the criticism. Kroos called him the best defender in the team by a clear margin, prizing his strength in individual duels and the pace that lets him deal with difficult situations. The rest of the defensive options drew reservations. "When I look at the other three defenders, I do not see any player I trust to defend on his own against a striker, with 30 metres of open space behind him."

Beat Barcelona's press, he added, and huge spaces open up in front of opponents, while the defenders tasked with covering them lack the pace and the exceptional defensive ability the job demands.

Upamecano and Alphonso Davies would be a different matter. Kroos stressed he would feel no worry with those two defending that space. The task becomes far harder, he noted, with Joao Cancelo, Gerard Martin and players of that type.

For all the criticism, Kroos left no doubt about his admiration for Barcelona's style. "Personally, I absolutely love the way Barcelona play. I think the football they produce is wonderful and highly enjoyable to watch, but the problem is that they do not have the exceptional defensive quality needed to apply this style without exposing themselves to serious problems."