Real Madrid: Why Toni Kroos was team’s best player in October 2019
Toni Kroos is our Real Madrid Player of the Month for October, narrowly beating the likes of Casemiro and Karim Benzema.
What a resurgent season Real Madrid center midfielder Toni Kroos has been having! After all the criticisms leveled at him for his 2018-2019 performance (rightly so), he has come back stronger than ever for Los Blancos. But his performances have gone up another level this past month.
Los Blancos started the month with a draw at home against Club Brugge in the Champions League, which complicated the situation in the group stages. The German was the best player on the pitch in the loss, contributing an assist to Casemiro’s crucial tying goal.
According to WhoScored.com Kroos had eight (!) key passes that game(highest) and had a 92% pass success rate.
Kroos then got injured in the game against Granada and had to be taken off in the 33rd minute, but not before hitting three key passes in that short time. He would have also had an assist, had Carvajal been a little more clinical after Kroos had laid the ball off to him with a beautiful touch.
He missed the game against Mallorca but his influence on the team could be seen. Without a proper controller, Real Madrid had zero control of the midfield in the game and eventually succumbed to their first defeat in the league in the season.
Kroos returned from his injury and slotted right back into the lineup for the crucial game against Galatasaray in the Champions League. The Whites desperately needed the points and Kroos delivered. He scored the only goal of the game in the 18th minute and ensured that the team was off to a good start. It was also his 100th game in the Champions League and by scoring, became only the fifth player to score on his 100th match. He was also adjudged MOTM by WhoScored.com.
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Back in La Liga, at home against Leganes, Real got off to a bright start after they scored two goals in 90 seconds. Rodrygo Goes scored in the seventh minute, followed by Kroos in the eighth with a delightful touch on a low cross driven in by Karim Benzema. Apart from the goal, Kroos kept the midfield ticking and ensured Real were in the driving seat until he was substituted.
For the entire month of October, Kroos had a rating of above eight, except for the game where he got injured, according to WhoScored.com. Here’s hoping Kroos maintains this form for the rest of the season, as he’s going to be vital if Real Madrid are to win any trophies this season.