DM Casemiro
According to WhoScored.com, Real Madrid defensive midfielder Casemiro had six tackles against Valencia. The previous weekend at Huesca, Casemiro had a jaw-dropping four tackles and five interceptions against a very game 20th-placed side.
Casemiro is back to his best defensively for Los Blancos, and he’s contributed well offensively with four goals, mostly via his head. The Brazilian defensive midfielder is the best at his position in La Liga, and he’ll need to show it against Valladolid. Fabian Orellana is not the same player he was at Celta Vigo, but he is still a tricky La Liga attacking midfielder. Valladolid will try to counter the hell out of Real, which is where Case comes in.
CM Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos is having a hell of a season for Real Madrid. The German international stroked home a lovely side-footed goal into the bottom right corner on Matchday 23, and he was the Man of the Match due to his overall control of the match. Kroos has been dominating La Liga defenses week after week, and Real Valladolid, even with Ruben Alcaraz offering protection with 2.4 tackles per game from midfield, will be no exception.
The home side will follow the same gameplan as they did earlier this season, which means the onus will be on Kroos to find the passes and circulate possession for his team. Often, Kroos sees the play developing from the first pass, making a play that gets the team moving and puts them in a position to produce a sequence of passes that lead to a goal.