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Real Madrid: What should the starting XI look like in 2021/22?

By Hridyam Arora

HUESCA, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 06: Luka Modric of Real Madrid CF looks on during the La Liga Santander match between SD Huesca and Real Madrid at Estadio El Alcoraz on February 06, 2021 in Huesca, Spain. Sporting stadiums around Spain remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
HUESCA, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 06: Luka Modric of Real Madrid CF looks on during the La Liga Santander match between SD Huesca and Real Madrid at Estadio El Alcoraz on February 06, 2021 in Huesca, Spain. Sporting stadiums around Spain remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) /
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Real Madrid, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos
Real Madrid, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos (Photo by Chris Brunskill Ltd/Getty Images) /

Casemiro

There’s not much debate here. Casemiro is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. Casemiro’s also the best (also, the only) defensive midfielder that Real Madrid have. There are a few problems with Casemiro as I talked about here, but those problems are overwhelmed by his strong points.

He’s an excellent defensive presence, and that’s probably what Real Madrid need right now. He will be very important as an increase in defensive production will be expected from him too, just like the fullbacks. The burden of losing two great centre-backs resides on the rest of the defensive-minded players that Real Madrid have, and Casemiro is one of the most important ones.

Luka Modric

This guy just doesn’t age, does he? He’s in his 10th season at Real Madrid. He’s also going to turn 36 this year, yet Luka Modric is still as important as ever. He’s probably going to play a little less than last season — which should get his successor, Martin Odegaard (if he stays), more minutes on the pitch than what he got last season. This will ensure that Modric is in tip-top condition during the crunch time of the season, because Real Madrid just cannot afford to risk Luka by asking him to play nearly every single game, again. I hope that doesn’t happen this time around.

Toni Kroos

Toni Kroos is also nearing the end of his football career. He’s had an amazing time at Real Madrid and has repeatedly said that he wants to end his career here. He’s going to be important this time around too. Last season, it felt like almost everyone except for Luka and Kroos were just getting injured one after the other. He was crucial for the team’s survival in the competitions they were in, and it’s going to be similar this time around. Hopefully, he isn’t forced to play that much, but with the unfortunate circumstances the club seems to always find itself in, I’m not ruling that out.

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