Real Madrid: Resting Toni Kroos for Luka Modric was a great call

Real Madrid fans may have been puzzled that Zinedine Zidane benched Toni Kroos against Real Sociedad, but it was all part of a larger plan that should pay off handsomely.

There is always a method to Zinedine Zidane’s madness. Toni Kroos is one of Real Madrid’s most important players and is in amazing form, including a brace over the November international break for Germany against Belarus. So it was a surprise to many Los Blancos fans when they saw Kroos sitting on the bench for Saturday’s big match against Real Sociedad.

When Real went down early to Sociedad after a mistake from Sergio Ramo and midfielder Luka Modric, who started for Kroos, struggled, people were wondering if Zidane had made a grave mistake. After all, Sociedad weren’t pushovers in fourth in La Liga with star players like Martin Odegaard, so surely a full-strength squad that included Kroos was needed.

But Modric stepped up his game. He won a free kick, sent in a delightful ball on the set piece to Karim Benzema, and the star striker dispatched the pass home for his 10th goal of the 2019-2020 La Liga campaign.

Modric then made a brilliant touch and set up Fede Valverde for the 2-1 goal early in the second half. The Croatian international added Real Madrid’s third goal in the 74th minute, volleying home beautifully after Gareth Bale and Benzema worked to create the chance.

The 34-year-old quieted any remaining critics, elevating his game from a stellar performance before the break against Eibar. Modric never stopped running, made a crucial defensive intervention in the penalty box against Odegaard, and finished with two assists and a goal in an all-action display. Talk about bouncing back from a slow start.

Kroos received a cameo appearance at the end of the match and played well, as he needed a few minutes as a tune-up for Tuesday’s big game against PSG. What Kroos didn’t need, though, was to get worn down by playing a full 90 minutes against Sociedad before the PSG game.

Meanwhile, Modric was rested for Matchday 14. He returned early from the international break, whereas Kroos played heavy minutes for his country over the past couple of weeks. Modric was fresher, and his excellent, Man of the Match-quality performance confirmed Zidane’s trust in him. While the PSG game is a huge one that needs all hands on deck, such as the indispensable Kroos, Modric is also a world-class midfielder.

Despite some early season doubts as to whether or not he’s still good, Modric has shown that he has all the qualities to be a regular part of Zidane’s rotation, even at the age of 34. This was a statement performance from Modric, who showed so much energy when on the pitch and provided plenty of end product.

Real Madrid will have Kroos at 100% and Modric off the bench against PSG on Tuesday, and they have all three points in the bag against a dangerous Sociedad side. It looks like Zidane deserves a clap for his decision, with the round of applause going to Modric for a statement-making display.