Toni Kroos has analyzed Sunday's Clásico and identified José Mourinho as the main architect of Real Madrid's victory at Camp Nou, which allowed the club to stay in the LaLiga title race.

"For the last two years, the Clásicos have gone Barça's way. Unfortunately, that was the case in the last six or seven Clásicos, and that's what we expected before the match, with Madrid conceding an average of four goals in those encounters. But this has changed, and I have to praise Mourinho's work. They played excellently, and he devised a great strategy. Playing with the ball against this Barça is a real achievement, because they suffer when they don't have it."

The former Real Madrid midfielder admitted he had not expected the team to show such courage, both in and out of possession.

"Real Madrid and Mourinho were incredibly brave at the Camp Nou, and that was a huge difference compared to recent Clásicos. The forwards responded. There were also periods where they defended well, like when Barça equalized. We all would have settled for a draw then. They played very well for 65 minutes."

Kroos also highlighted Mourinho's tactical approach, praising the players' positioning and the pressure they applied to Barcelona's midfield.

"Real Madrid's players were well-positioned. I was surprised by Huijsen's marking of Fermín. Barça players like Pedri and Raphinha looked uncomfortable and were forced into mistakes they don't normally make. Madrid won almost every duel because they were more intense. Real Madrid defended as a team. They played an excellent game both defensively and in possession. Barcelona is the better team in terms of football because they manage to dominate possession more than Madrid, but they suffer a lot when their pressing doesn't work and they have to defend. Madrid found the solutions to beat them. Barça received real pressure that they don't usually face from other teams."

The German also discussed Vinicius' absence and the importance of Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid's attacking play. He believes the Brazilian could have exploited the space left by João Cancelo, while emphasizing the need for him to contribute defensively.

"Vini doesn't need great technique to be dangerous. I would have liked to see him against Cancelo, who leaves a lot of space behind him, and he could have really hurt him. Vini has to defend like Diomande and Bellingham did. Mbappé and Vinicius are a gift for midfielders. They're worth their weight in gold because they're three steps faster than defenders. Arda has a great connection with Mbappé."

Finally, Kroos apologized in advance if his analysis appeared too favorable to Real Madrid, insisting that the club's supporters deserved to enjoy the victory after several difficult seasons.

"We’ve suffered and analyzed it over the last two years, and now it’s time to enjoy ourselves and have some fun. By the way, I also don’t want PSG to win their third Champions League title, for certain reasons…"

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