Real Madrid 5 Ups And Downs After 0-0 Draw With Real Sociedad

Up: Toni Kroos and Luka Modric meshed well together

Zinedine Zidane made a mistake with how he managed his substitions and should have put on a striker, but he did some things right tactically that should serve the team well later in the 2020-2021 season.

The French manager went with a surprisingly aggressive attacking formation, using Toni Kroos and Luka Modric behind Martin Odegaard in the attack as the midfielders.

It worked out.

Kroos and Modric as a duo haven’t always been the best when starting together in 2020, as they were culpable when Manchester City ran them over in August. But on Sunday at the Anoeta Stadium, Kroos and Modric were in command of the match.

Per WhoScored.com, Kroos and Modric led the team with three key passes each. Kroos drew three fouls, Modric drew two. Both players completed 90 percent of their passes. Kroos led the way with 105 passes completed, including two accurate crosses and 11 accurate long balls.

It’s amazing how we take Kroos’ greatness for granted. He’s quietly amazing, and he dominated this game despite Real not scoring a goal.

Most importantly, Kroos and Modric showed that this formation, with the two experienced midfielders working in tandem as a double-pivot for hte attack, can work. And you know who will be the main beneficiary later in the season? Martin Odegaard.