Like all Barça fans, Ronald Araujo can't wait for El Clásico. Just hours before the long-awaited clash between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, the Uruguayan defender (with a striker’s spirit) shared his thoughts on the match at the Santiago Bernabéu, a fixture that he says always brings motivation.

Tough challenge

Araujo knows how difficult the game will be, since Real Madrid “are a great team with very talented players.” He expects a “tough match,” especially with not only bragging rights at stake but also three points that will decide who ends the weekend at the top of the league table.

“We’re in good form" he added. We have a competitive squad, and we have the quality and the conditions to win.”

For Araujo, however, one of the keys to victory is to “enjoy it ... It’s a beautiful and important match, and that’s why there’s always a bit of anxiety. But in the Clásicos where we’ve enjoyed ourselves, things have gone well. And that’s what we have to do.”

 

Happy memories

He already proved his scoring touch in the last league game, securing the three points against Girona with his last-minute goal. And he’s also found the net in a Clásico at the Bernabéu before. That was in the famous 4-0 win in the 2022/23 season. “That goal was a very special moment,” he recalled.

A memory that Hansi Flick’s team will be hoping to relive in the first Clásico of the 2025/26 campaign.

 

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