Araujo hails Marcus Rashford's double as Barcelona secure vital opening win

Following Barcelona's hard-fought 2-1 victory away at Newcastle, centre-back Ronald Araujo declared that "it was important to start like this" in Europe's premier club competition.

"I'm very happy with the win. We knew it would be a very difficult match against a physical team that presses high, but we took control and dominated the game. At the end, at 2-1, it got a bit complicated in the final minutes, but that's normal," the Uruguayan defender summarised in his post-match interview with 'Movistar'.

Speaking from the pitch at St. James' Park, Araujo admitted he finished the match "quite cramped up" and was asking the bench how much time was left, but he praised "the tremendous effort" of the team and insisted that "the most important thing is the victory."

"We knew they would come out strong at the start of each half. We had to keep a clean sheet. Sometimes we played it long more than usual, but you have to know how to play these games," he added.

Araujo also explained that Cubarsi was substituted due to a knee problem and described Marcus Rashford, who scored both of Barcelona's goals, as a "spectacular" player with "a lot of quality". "Hopefully, he continues to enjoy playing with us," he added.

Finally, the centre-back commented that the rotations in defence are not a problem in the dressing room: "We know we have a competitive squad. The manager manages it well; there are games for everyone. We are happy. Those who play give 100%, and those who come off the bench also give their all."