Real Madrid won’t have center midfielder Toni Kroos available this week, so these three players must step up.
There might not be a more consistent player in La Liga than Real Madrid center midfielder Toni Kroos. He almost never has a bad game, he completed over 93 percent of his passes last season (via WhoScored.com), and he is a quiet leader in the locker room for Los Blancos.
But Kroos won’t be available this week due to a hip injury, meaning he will miss Wednesday’s match against Real Valladolid and Sunday’s match against Levante.
So here are three players who must step up for the German international.
Real Madrid CM Luka Modric
The first name on the list is center midfielder Luka Modric, who has enjoyed an unsurprisingly brilliant start to the 2020-2021 season. One of the heroes down the stretch of last season’s title-winning campaign, Modric played well in the opener in a double-pivot alongside Toni Kroos, bossing the Real Sociedad midfield.
On Matchday 3, Modric was subbed into the game late in the first half for the injured Kroos, and he and fellow substitute Isco changed the game. Modric was the workhorse again, carrying the ball and covering any gaps defensively.
As good as it gets, Modric is showing that age is just a number. He does a little bit of everything for the Real Madrid midfield, and he’ll be the player leaned on the most with Kroos out this week.
Real Madrid AM Martin Odegaard
Watch out for Martin Odegaard. The newest addition to the Real Madrid lineup for the 2020-2021 season, Odegaard made his debut in the starting lineup against Real Sociedad, showing his talent once again at the Anoeta Stadium after starring for La Real on loan in 2019-2020.
While Odegaard didn’t score or assist in the 0-0 draw, the Norway international was a standout in terms of his movement and passing. Odegaard is the kind of player who can create a chance from nothing with his vision, and he can weigh passes perfectly into the penalty box, hitting a forward in stride.
Against Real Betis, the 21-year-old didn’t have the incisive impact he would have hoped, but he still completed nearly 96 percent of his passes before making way for Isco, who was a better fit for the opposition at hand.
Odegaard is a key player for Real Madrid. Like Toni Kroos, he’s an accurate passer who is great at pressing, can score goals himself, and loves creating chance. He’s a much different player from Luka Modric or Kroos, but he has intriguing similarities to both, such as his ball-carrying when it comes to the Modric comparisons.
A likely starter against Real Valladolid, Levante, or both, Odegaard has quickly become a key player in Zinedine Zidane’s plans. But that doesn’t surprise Madridistas.
Real Madrid AM Isco
Another attacking midfielder who adds creativity, skillful dribbling, and goal-scoring threat to middle of the park, Isco was one of the best players on the pitch for Real Madrid in the 3-2 win over Real Betis.
His substitution into the game made all the difference for Los Blancos. Isco had two dribbles completed and a key pass, but his statistics in the second half went beyond the stat sheet. His vision, ball-carrying, work rate off the ball, and nerves of steel helped Real Madrid make a comeback in the second 45 at the Benito Villamarin.
Toni Kroos and Isco aren’t similar players, but Isco can help make up for Kroos’ absence in a number of ways.
Firstly, leadership. Secondly, progressive passing. Thirdly, the threat of swerving shots from outside the box that keeps defenses and goalkeepers honest.
Isco is an under-appreciated player in so many ways. There are fans outside of Real Madrid – and even within the fanbase – who don’t acknowledge the role he’s played in so many of the club’s key wins this season. Most notably, Isco was one of the best players on the pitch against Barcelona in the Clasico.
He won’t start in both games, but Isco can even make a difference off the bench. After all, that’s exactly what he did this weekend in Seville.