On January 15, in a personal blog post, former Real Madrid player Toni Kroos shared his thoughts on Barcelona's prospects.
Speaking about Barcelona under Hansi Flick, Kroos said: "They won't win any international trophies—at least that's my opinion. They might win domestic titles, but not in European competitions. They were still happy about winning the Spanish Super Cup, but now the UEFA Champions League is here, and Barcelona will face top-tier opponents."
Following Barcelona's previous loss to Paris Saint-Germain, Kroos remarked: "If you're exhausted and don't change your playing style, your weaknesses become very obvious. Barcelona is taking too many risks... When players like Pedri, Yamal, or Raphinha are not at their best, any team can hurt them and has a chance to knock them out of the Champions League."
Regarding Real Madrid's performance in the Spanish Super Cup final, Kroos stated: "You could see the tactical setup was quite conventional—a pattern we might need to get used to for the next few years. Essentially, Real Madrid sit deep and wait for counter-attacking opportunities. I'm not criticizing; I personally prefer teams that take the initiative and play aggressively, whether in possession or without the ball. But you have to adapt based on your current circumstances, with the goal of winning the match. I think we’ll need to get accustomed to Real Madrid’s low-block approach—they’ve executed it extremely well for a long time, somewhat resembling their style in La Liga."