FC Barcelona found themselves trailing in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 encounter after Harvey Barnes broke the deadlock. The winger swept home almost unchallenged following a slick move sparked by Jacob Murphy. Ronald Araujo drew the spotlight for his role in the goal, appearing to merely watch on from the edge of the area after re-entering the field of play.

Araujo had initially gone down with cramp beyond the Newcastle byline and attempted to rejoin the action to halt play, only for referee Marco Guida to order him off. As the 'Magpies' restarted, the Italian official gestured for Araujo to return from the byline rather than the touchline. However, the Uruguayan seemed caught in two minds, failing to capitalise on the official's instruction. Instead of sprinting back, he was seen trotted and walked across the pitch while the hosts carved out their opening goal.

Speaking to 'Movistar+' after the final whistle, Ronald Araujo admitted he was baffled by the referee's officiating. "I don't understand the rule there," he explained. "If I'm suffering from cramp, I can enter standing still or walking. I don't understand why the referee sent me off the pitch again. After that, I couldn't track back."

Despite the defensive lapse, the Uruguayan insisted the Catalan giants have matured since their recent Copa del Rey exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid: "I'm happy with the result. We didn't play as well as we wanted, but we must emphasise that we learned from the Copa del Rey tie. In that first leg, we lost 4-0 and had to chase the game. Today, we played intelligently. In the Champions League, you have to be smart. Now we need to deliver a big performance at home in front of our own fans."

The centre-back conceded that while the game plan was to "pose more of a threat and enjoy more possession," the atmosphere played a part. He noted they were up "against a strong opponent, on their home turf, with the stadium rocking." Labelling it "a tough match," he insisted the squad left with "a good feeling" given the tie will be settled at the Spotify Camp Nou.

Araujo attributed the late fatigue shown by the FC Barcelona squad to "the intense effort of recent matches." On a personal note, he added that he personally felt "very good" and was delighted to "enjoy" his return to the starting XI.

Ronald Araujo

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