The Italians marked in the stoppages, then in overtime, to win 7-6 in total. Among the many complaints from Barça, the accusations also started to be rejected shortly after the final whistle.
On an individual level, central defender Ronald Araujo was the most criticized player after the match. The Uruguayan came into play 12 minutes from the end, but was absent from the two goals of Inter while he was on the field. During the equalization of Francesco Acerbi, Araujo could not hinder the central defender of 37 years, while Marcus Thuram easily diverted the ball at the entrance to the surface to serve the victorious goal.
Ronald Araujo worries Barça
According to Sport, his performances this season arouse concerns. If he has never been a brilliant ball on the foot, Araujo has always distinguished himself by his defensive qualities, until this season. During two clasicos, Araujo performed well against the Merengues, each time as a replacement. Apart from that, it was a constant source of errors.
The Catalan newspaper notes that the locker room was quick to recall the expulsion of Araujo last season in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain, which pushed Ilkay Gündogan to criticize it publicly. The problem has been resolved, but the feeling at the club is that its level of performance has dropped considerably this year, an observation confirmed by Diario As, which affirms that the other central defenders correspond better to its style of play.
Interest of Bayern Munich and Juventus
Araujo was about to leave in January, requesting a transfer to Juventus, which proposed 35 million euros. A sum deemed insufficient by Barcelona, who offered him an extension of contract until 2031, with the promise to discuss his future this summer. Its release clause is now 65 million euros for the first 15 days of the transfer market, and Sport indicates that Juventus and Bayern Munich remain interested. He was also recently mentioned in Manchester United.
As notes that some at the club consider the extension of Araujo as “artificial”, and he remains a player whom Barcelona would plan to sell. Flick still counts on him, knowing that he has no other defender of his qualities, but the club is less sure of his future.
