Real Madrid: 3 takeaways from the Spanish Supercup Semifinals

Luka Modric, Toni Kroos play below their standard

You know Real Madrid are in for a rough night when their two world-class midfielders aren’t at their best.

Toni Kroos rarely ever misplaces a pass, yet he completed under 90 percent of his passes against Athletic Club. For most players, a completion percentage hovering just under 90 is actually good, but for Kroos, that qualifies as a poor day at the office.

He had a couple of nice crosses and switches to Ferland Mendy, though Athletic Club seemed to give Mendy space on purpose, perhaps knowing that he’s the least likely to create a chance with his crossing.

Modric had a tougher night than Kroos. He was swarmed with the ball and didn’t receive much help from the forwards in possession. Modric was worn-out and let down by his teammates before making way for Fede Valverde in the 67th minute.

Both of these guys are on the shortlist of Real Madrid’s MVP for the 2020-2021 season, so they will almost certainly perform at a higher level soon. This just wasn’t their night, and we have to be honest about that. Kroos and Modric, as brilliant as they are, won’t be world-class every night, and that’s when they need other players to step up. Those guys, specifically the forwards, did not do their jobs for the full 90 minutes.