Real Madrid: Top 5 performances from 3-1 win over Barcelona

Real Madrid CM Toni Kroos

One of the best midfielders in the world, Toni Kroos is so satisfying to watch, and he was at his cool-headed best against La Blaugrana. The German international barely misplaced any passes and kept the Real Madrid engine running smoothly with his vision, passing, and willingness to find open pockets of space to keep the ball moving for his teammates.

Kroos plays chess on the football pitch with the opposition, and Barcelona just could not cope with his tactical awareness. He had two shots on target, two fouls drawn, and, of course, five key passes, according to WhoScored.com. Coming into this game, Kroos led the team with 3.3 key passes per match in La Liga, so his average has gone up even further after El Clasico.

Defensively, Kroos showed why he isn’t a liability in that facet of the game when pushing high up the pitch from the left midfield spot with Ferland Mendy supporting him from behind. The 30-year-old tied Lucas Vazquez with four tackles to lead the way for Los Blancos.

Consistent from start to finish, Kroos was instrumental in Real’s victory and came close to scoring and assisting on multiple occasions. He remains one of the world’s best, week after week, year after year.