Real Madrid vs. Chelsea: Why Toni Kroos’ return changes everything
Toni Kroos has been Real Madrid‘s driving force from the centre of the park this season. He has been one of the best midfielders for Real Madrid this season, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him the best midfielder on the planet right now. He has directly contributed to 13 goals in 2913 minutes this season, with three goals and ten assists to his name.
He has been very influential in the UEFA Champions League this season, and if there’s one moment that defines his season, it’s his assist to Vinicius Junior against Liverpool in the first leg of the quarter-finals with a fantastic long ball that flew over the two defensive lines of Liverpool.
But unfortunately, after the Liverpool tie and the El Clasico, he had to miss a week of football and three LaLiga games, as he had not recovered completely from the adductor injury he had suffered in the most recent international break. His absence, combined with the absence of Fede Valverde and Sergio Ramos, lead to Real Madrid dropping four important points in LaLiga, with the league title at stake.
Zinedine Zidane had deployed Isco to cover for the Germany international, but the Spaniard failed to be effective. Castilla midfielder Antonio Blanco was used in the game against Cadiz, and he was very impressive in the role of a deep-lying playmaker, but it would be harsh to expect a youngster to provide what Toni Kroos usually does.
Kroos’ absence was definitely felt in those three games, particularly in the Real Betis game, as Real Madrid failed to take complete control against the solid Real Betis team. And Luka Modric not being at his hundred per cent due to a back issue made it worse, as Real Madrid failed to create a proper goalscoring chance and eventually dropped two points, thus allowing Barcelona to take advantage in the title race.
Toni Kroos’ absence was definitely felt in those three LaLiga games. But now that he’s finally back and fit for the Chelsea game on Tuesday, Zinedine Zidane can finally breathe a sigh of relief. It was very important for Hazard to play against Chelsea, and for every upcoming game as a matter of fact, especially with an underperforming attack.
Toni Kroos’ press resistance and ball retention will be vital for Real Madrid vs. Chelsea this Tuesday
Chelsea isn’t an intense pressing side like Liverpool or Atalanta, but they are still a team with quick and energetic forwards who would look to lead the press and latch upon any loose ball in the centre. And not to forget that Chelsea have a world-class ball-winner in the form of Ngolo Kante. It is very important to retain the ball against a counter-attacking team like Chelsea, and this is exactly where Toni Kroos will come into play.
His extraordinary press-resistance and exceptional passing abilities need no introduction, and he will be highly useful to retain the ball. It is important to dominate the ball and take control in big games like these. This was something that wasn’t visible in the Getafe game as well, and it upset the rhythm of the team as regular giveaways from the players didn’t help their cause. Toni Kroos’ timely return will definitely ease some of Zidane’s tension in this regard. And his defensive positioning in transition also highly useful, and he has a knack for making crucial interceptions.
But the main factor that Toni Kroos brings to this game is creativity. Chelsea has had 16 clean sheets since Thomas Tuchel’s entry as the manager, and their defensive line consisting of three centre-backs has been highly disciplined and effective. Top teams like Liverpool, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur have found it difficult to score a goal against Chelsea, and it shows how solid they’ve been in defence.
Toni Kroos brings the creativity that is needed to break down these defences, and he just has that added bit of quality that helps him to do so. Have a look at Real Madrid’s opening goals against Liverpool and Celta Vido in the last month and a half, scored by Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema respectively. Kroos was the mastermind behind both the goals and the final balls in both the sequences just demonstrate Toni Kroos’ insane abilities and out-of-the-world vision.
Expectations for Eden Hazard vs. Chelsea. dark. Next
He has that ability to find the pass that can break through the strongest of defences, and in my opinion, this is where the presence of a player like Toni Kroos will be game-changing. His return has come at the right time for Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane, and it will be interesting to see how Kroos performs against Chelsea tomorrow.