Last season wasn’t the prettiest one for any Real Madrid player. It was a transition period involving a generational change. Some players didn’t have the best of seasons as the transition kicked in. But this season has seen things settle down under Zinedine Zidane. With that, Toni Kroos seems back to his best again.
The German’s performance was a key reason for why the Los Blancos won a point against Celta Vigo in the 2-2 draw recently. He had a passing accuracy of 93 percent, as he played 71 total passes in the game. He won as many as four tackles and completed three aerial duels. It was a pure reflection of his move back to the top.
Having said that, it will be unfair to say that Kroos was the poorest player for the club last season. While Luka Modric had shown clear signs of slowing down, Kroos only suffered from the lack of balance because of it. In that sense, the emergence of Federico Valverde has helped Kroos get back to his own form once again.
This season, Kroos has already scored three goals while picking up four assists. He could be on his way to go past his best goal contribution record for the club- 15 from the 2016-17 season. He’s brought the familiar level of calm to the plate, with Casemiro doing his world-class job of winning the ball back and playing it forward.
He hasn’t just come up with crucial contributions against Celta. His impressive showing against Valencia had helped the side to a 3-1 win and his assist had seen the side edge out Real Valladolid by a 1-0 margin. He had also bagged an assist in a 2-1 win over Alaves– a reflection of how he’s come up with the goods in very crucial stages.
He had got a goal for himself in the first game of the season as well, starring in a 3-1 win over Celta themselves. That game had seen Real play with ten men thanks to a Modric red-card. But Kroos came up with three key passes, winning two tackles as well. That set the tempo for an impressive season for the German.
One of his best games came in one of the club’s biggest games against Paris Saint-Germain. While the game did end in a thrilling 2-2 draw, but Kroos had a nearly sensational outing. He played as many as 103 passes and had an unreal accuracy of 98 percent. He also played seven key passes, being the club’s best player on the day. He also won as many as three tackles. It was a complete performance by all means.
He has the trust of the manager as well. Zidane recently made his love for the German clear. He told reporters:
“I love to watch Toni train. I love to be there for his training sessions. They’re exceptional sessions. I’m not saying it for the sake of it. It’s true. I’ve never seen him lose the ball. Well, maybe once. His game is always elegant and efficient. He never has a bad day.”
That is high praise from someone who won the club three Champions League titles in a row. If Zidane trusts Kroos, it is a huge statement from him. The manner in which he’s gone about controlling games is a lot like the Kroos who won the side the three European titles not long ago.
Now that the structure of the team is right again for him. This will only end well. Kroos will play a huge role in whatever Real achieve this season.
