Toni Kroos has long been Real Madrid‘s silent Galatico, a man at the centre of everything but the headlines – the puppeteer pulling all the strings. His consistency to continually produce at the highest level is phenomenal, however this season, he is operating at a higher level than ever before.
It is no secret that the German is a distribution machine, with his passing numbers regularly featuring atop the top 5 leagues. Whilst he’s not a player often associated with goal creation, in recent weeks, Kroos has showcased that he is capable of creating goals and creating them regularly.
This past weekend against Real Valladolid, Kroos continued to build on his incredible numbers for this season. Not only did he produce the assist for the winning goal, but he also led the team in a number of areas: the most key passes with 4, the most passes completed with 73, the most crosses completed with 7, the most duels won with 7 and the most recoveries made with 9.
Simply put, Toni is leading Real Madrid from the middle of the park. When it comes to recycling possession, creating chances, and being a safe option on the ball, the German is in a league of his own.
Which midfielders in La Liga are safe on the ball & create shooting opportunities for their side? (minimum 1000 mins)
— Yash (@Odriozolite) February 16, 2021
Stand out performer? Toni Kroos💯
•Bryan Gil & Fekir create loads but also susceptible to give the ball away.
•Canales & Parejo class.
Feedback appreciated! pic.twitter.com/ajyvNTTR0p
Toni Kroos’ set pieces are becoming crucial to Real Madrid
Kroos performing at a high level is nothing new for Madridistas. He has been playing at this level since he joined the club – why is this season in particular impressive? He’s playing at the peak of his powers in perhaps the weakest side during his tenure. With the team in need of standouts and leaders, the former Bayern man has stepped up and then some.
So far this season, he leads the way in LaLiga for key passes per 90 and chances created with 2.5 and 50 respectively. If we scratch even further beneath the surface, Kroos is also leading the way for most passes attempted and completed in both LaLiga and the Champions League, with the highest passing accuracy in league play too.
Of the 50 chances he’s created at the time of writing, 23 of those have come from set-pieces. Something which has become useful for Real, especially as they looked for a goal this past weekend against Real Valladolid. Even more so when you consider the threatening players Real have – Varane, Ramos, Benzema, and Casemiro all thrive in aerial battles.
When it comes to Real’s leading men this season, it is hard to look past the gargantuan influence of Toni Kroos. His control on Real’s play was best summed up by Casemiro: “Real Madrid’s game always flows to the rhythm of Toni Kroos. He decides everything.”