Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos praised Bayern Munich's performance against Real Madrid, but noticed one bit of detail that could provide his Spanish team a lifeline.
Real Madrid lost to Bayern 2-1 in the first leg of the quarter final of the Champions League on Tuesday night, failing to secure a big result at home before the second leg at the Allianz Arena next week.
In a game where Real Madrid could have conceded three or four goals, especially in the first half, the home side did look much better after Harry Kane's stunner, scoring a goal, controlling the game and creating more chances.
Kroos talked about exactly that, how Real Madrid were let back into the game, and he said something that Real Madrid may have already known, but it was something that they should definitely consider as a much-needed lifeline.
Real Madrid should look at Toni Kroos' warning for Bayern as a lifeline
He said: “I was not surprised by what happened in the game, although Bayern signed an excellent performance, but what happened after getting 0-2 was the most striking aspect mentally.
"In recent years, Bayern has offered good performances against Real Madrid, but in the return matches they often fail to maintain their level or secure the classification, being affected by small details.”
Real Madrid need to think about this aspect. Bayern were the much better team in the first half, and you could say that they were the better team overall, too, because Real Madrid ultimately lost and they did not create the same amount of danger as Bayern in that half.
However, it showed them that if you take the game to Bayern Munich, it can definitely help their chances. Being passive will never work against a team like Bayern, especially this current version of them. A couple of years ago, Bayern looked great against Real Madrid until they hit the last few minutes of the game, where they conceded two goals and saw themselves bow out of the competition.
The same could still happen this time around. It will be tougher, because Bayern are much better than they were in 2024, and Real Madrid are worse than they were that year, but these are the sorts of things Real Madrid need to focus on.
In fact, that is what they have always focused on. Real Madrid have rarely ever dominated ties from start to finish. Maybe if you take one or two seasons in recent history, you'll see some truly dominant performances.
But largely speaking, Real Madrid have been a team that decides ties by moments, and that is exactly how they must approach this one. They would need to be more than solid defensively throughout, but also show enough on the other end when it matters most to be able to give themselves a chance to win the game.