Former Real Madrid and Germany midfielder Toni Kroos has explained why he believes Barcelona will struggle to win the UEFA Champions League this season.
As reported by İdman.Biz, citing The Touchline on X, the former German international believes the Catalan giants rely too heavily on their attacking strength while sometimes neglecting their defensive responsibilities.
"With this style of play, it will be very difficult for Barcelona to win the Champions League. Barcelona's approach has always been based on creating more chances than their opponents. But in the Champions League, that becomes much more difficult," Kroos said.
The 2014 World Cup winner pointed out that Europe's elite competition presents challenges that cannot always be overcome through attacking football alone.
"You face teams that are capable of scoring several goals in a single match. You also play against teams that defend exceptionally well and simply won't allow you to play the way you want. And when that happens, you need to know how to defend as well," he explained.
Kroos also warned that Barcelona's tendency to depend on scoring multiple goals could prove costly in decisive European encounters.
"Barcelona rely too much on scoring two or three goals to win. That's a dangerous approach in the Champions League," the former midfielder concluded.
Kroos, who retired from professional football in 2024, won the Champions League six times during his career, including five titles with Real Madrid and one with Bayern Munich.
Barcelona will play their next Champions League match on November 25 in Baku, where they will face Azerbaijani club Sabah at the Baku Olympic Stadium.
