Hope returns as Barcelona captain shines on Champions League comeback | OneFootball

Beyond the importance of the 4-2 victory over Slavia Praha, Ronald Araujo’s appearance marked a special outing for the Uruguayan.

The centre-back came on in the 79th minute, marking his return to the UEFA Champions League almost two months after his last appearance, which came against Chelsea. 

That previous outing had been a painful one, coming in the defeat at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea, where Araujo was sent off. 

The aftermath of that match led to a period of leave for mental health reasons, during which he missed eight games, making his gradual comeback all the more significant.

A slow transition

Araujo began reintegrating with the group after the Christmas break and even travelled with the squad to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup shortly after resuming full training. 

Although he was not called up for the match against Athletic Club, he still played a symbolic role in the Spanish Super Cup final against Real Madrid. 

Araujo made his UCL comeback against Slavia Praha. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Araujo was the one entrusted with lifting the title, a gesture that underlined the club’s faith in him.

Since then, his return has been carefully managed. He appeared as a substitute in the Copa del Rey clash against Racing Santander, and later in LaLiga away to Real Sociedad. 

In Prague, however, Hansi Flick decided to give him around 15 minutes and the response was extremely encouraging.

In the limited time he spent on the pitch, Araujo looked like his old self. 

He won three counter-attacks by using his pace to recover possession, and he also made his presence felt in the air by preventing a clear chance. 

It was only a quarter of an hour, but it felt like a crucial step forward in his recovery.