Real Madrid: 3 advantages over Atalanta in the Champions League Round of 16

Real Madrid have an incomparable midfield trio

With all due respect to Atalanta, who have a couple of quality center midfielders in Marten de Roon and Remo Freuler, there is simply no midfield that can compare to what Real Madrid’s trio in their 4-3-3 bring to the table.

Casemiro is the best defensive midfielder on this planet. After a rough first-half of the season, he is back to his MVP-level form in 2019-2020, as he is averaging six tackles and interceptions per game in his last five fixtures, per WhoScored.com.

Luka Modric is still one of the world’s finest midfielders, and he is a proven big-game player. His magic on the ball is captivating, as he just needs a second to slip a killer pass into the box or lose his marker and fire a worldie into the top corner.

And then there is the best of the bunch this season, Toni Kroos. He leads the league with 2.6 key passes per game, and is registering assist after assist right now. Kroos had four key passes over the weekend against Real Valladolid in the 1-0 win, creating the goal for Casemiro via a trademark, perfectly-delivered free kick.

All three of these players transcend the game and are relied upon by Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid to pick up results. The control of the midfield by Kroos and Modric will be imperative on Wednesday night, and Casemiro’s defending and even goal-scoring make him arguably the most important player in this match.