Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo has shared his thoughts ahead of a crucial Copa del Rey semi-final against Atletico Madrid, while also weighing in on striker Julian Alvarez, who has recently been linked with a move to the Catalan club.
The Uruguayan defender made it clear in an interview with Mundo Deportivo that the team is in good spirits after a series of positive results.
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“We are doing well and running well. We have trained well and we know it will be difficult against a great team like Atletico Madrid, but we are ready to go to the final.” he began.
Atletico Madrid is always a tough opponent, especially in the knockout rounds.
However, Araujo insists that Barcelona does not care about the draw and believes in its own strength, regardless of the opponent.
“When we look at the draw, we don’t have a first-choice opponent. We have a great team and we can handle any challenge.
“In the end, we got a very big team like Atletico and we knew it would be difficult, but if we play well we have the quality to get to the final.”
Julian Alvarez
One of the biggest threats Barcelona face in this game is Julian Alvarez.
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The Argentinian striker is in excellent form and is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous forwards in Europe at the moment. Araujo praised him without hesitation.
Araujo had nothing but praise for Julian Alvarez. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
“He is a great player and for me one of the best strikers in the world. You can see the qualities he has.”
When asked about rumors linking Alvarez with a move to Barcelona, Araujo gave a confident and typical captain’s response, emphasizing the club’s status.
“The best players have to be at the best clubs and that’s us. That’s obvious. But it’s not my job to do that job or make that decision.”
La Liga and UCL ambitions
The defender also spoke about the La Liga title race, which remains very tight at the moment. With just one point separating Barcelona and Real Madrid, Araujo stressed the importance of staying focused in every game.
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“The league will be very difficult until the end. We are only one point ahead. Every game will be like a final and we have to take every game very seriously.”
Finally, Araujo talked about Barcelona’s ambitions in the Champions League.
Despite the difficulty of the competition, the captain made it clear that the club must always believe in lifting the trophy.
“Of course, we can aspire to win the Champions League. We are Barca and we must always have the courage to believe that we can win it. Barca must always believe that they can do it.” he explained.
