CM Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos’ performance was quieter as compared to the ones produced by the center backs and Vinicius, but he had another big game, just like against Osasuna. The German international came close to scoring a few times. In total, he completed 96.7 percent of his 90 pass attempts, including three key passes. And he was accurate on 10 of 13 long balls, with a couple of the inaccurate ones being the fault of the receivers. Kroos is underrated because of his own consistency.
Rating: 7.5
DM Casemiro
Casemiro really should have done better on the pass that led to Elche’s goal, but he did make up for it with a perfect last-ditch slide tackle that led to a bloody face. It was the last action of the match, and it was one for the highlight reels. As a whole, Casemiro’s performance was a mixed bag. He made some silly passes and decisions in the attack, but he was accurate on 9 of 10 long balls. Further, he had four tackles and a team-high four interceptions.
Rating: 6.0
CM Luka Modric
Luka Modric put in a lot of hard work in this match, and he deserved an assist for Vini’s goal after setting up Mariano Diaz in the exact same situation in the first half. The Croatian icon finished the match with three key passes, as he was composed at retaining possession and finding the open man. Modric did well defensively, too. It wasn’t one of his best performances, but it was another quality display from the center midfielder.
Rating: 7.0