Real Madrid: Ranking the 5 most important players as 2021 ticks down

3. CM Toni Kroos

Real’s midfield has been a mixed bag this season. The first choice trio of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Carlos Casemiro has been vital to the squad but hasn’t been at their best. Carlos Casemiro has had a problem with silly giveaways few of which even resulted in the goal for the opposition, he was lucky that it didn’t do much damage as far as points were concerned in those matches.

Luka Modric on the other hand hasn’t had too many of his masterclass outings. But that is the thing with Lukita, even if he isn’t at his best, he is much better than many central midfielders out there. He manages to do his job well and walks out with a decent enough performance helping the team secure a result. The true standout has been Toni Kroos in my opinion.

Real started the season without the German who was out with a prolonged injury. Since his return, Real Madrid has looked much more comfortable on the ball. He is a master passer of the ball. His signature passing style to drop his shoulder and find a different channel deceiving his marker is just so satisfying to see. He has also maintained a healthy long ball average of eight per match, per WhoScored. His passing accuracy has been over 95% in both LaLiga and the Champions League.

Kroos has helped this team immensely since his return. He doesn’t have any assists to his name yet. In fact, the only goal contribution was the goal he scored in the last match against Rayo Vallecano. But, there is so much to his play than his goal contributions. With his smart switch in play through long balls, finding the player on the flanks perfectly, and progressing the ball with precise passing, Toni Kroos is THE midfielder in this squad who has been the standout although he has only made eight appearances in the season. He’d be an important player for Real Madrid for the remainder of the season.