Kroos: "Which team did I prefer to win between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid? Couldn't they both lose?"

German midfielder Toni Kroos, a former Real Madrid star, shared his thoughts on the UEFA Champions League quarter-final match between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid in a video published on his "Luppen TV" channel. When asked which team he preferred to win, Kroos responded, "Couldn't they both lose? Due to my ten years at Real Madrid, I don't want either of them to win. But if I had to choose one, I'd prefer Atlético because they won't have the same chances to win next year. I don't hate either of them, but out of love for Real Madrid, I prefer neither of them to win."

Kroos, who previously wore the shirt of the Royal Club, asserted that Atlético Madrid would not be able to win the Champions League title. He explained, "This is just a personal opinion, but I believe Atlético Madrid will not win the Champions League. There are teams in the competition that play better than them."

Analyzing the match, Kroos stated that Barcelona was the better team, but playing for a long period with a numerical disadvantage made the task extremely difficult. He noted Atlético Madrid's excellent ability to defend a lead, and that their first-leg advantage, combined with the red card, gave them a significant edge to qualify for the semi-finals.

Kroos concluded by recalling a previous warning he had given to Barcelona. He explained that defending in such a manner, leaving wide spaces behind players, could lead to such situations, including red cards to prevent one-on-one chances. He added that the Blaugrana's defense is too exposed, and this happened to them last year against Inter Milan: "As I said before, if they don't change this way of playing, they won't win the Champions League."