Real Madrid News
Real Madrid veteran believes he is the solution to team’s poor performances
Despite the enormous competition at hand, Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos is determined to show manager Carlo Ancelotti that the solution to most of the team’s problems is him reports Spanish publication AS.
The veteran midfielder, who has been playing second-fiddle for most part of the ongoing season, came off the bench against Getafe in La Liga and Union Berlin in the UEFA Champions League and as it turns out, he went on to play a crucial role in both wins.
Numbers speak volume
Despite starting just two of the six games Madrid have played this season, Kroos sits fourth in the list of most passes for the team (317).
The veteran German is only surpassed by the likes of David Alaba (398), Aurelien Tchouameni (379), and Antonio Rudiger (353), who have required an additional 263, 173, and 213 minutes respectively to do so.
Above all, he has played second most passes in the final third (55) despite the limited time, with only Tchouameni (56) ahead of him.
And so, Kroos is resolute in his mission to demonstrate to Ancelotti that he is the key to resolving several of Madrid’s primary issues at the beginning of the season, including the deficiency in creativity, the need for vision between the lines, and the quest for midfield dominance.
Kroos continues to drop 10/10s
Kroos has illustrated in recent matches that he deserves to be more than just a squad player. In games against Getafe and Union Berlin, he made impactful appearances during the second half when the team was facing adversity, significantly influencing their ultimate triumph.
With him on the field, Real Madrid unmistakably shift into an aggressive mode, relentlessly pursuing victory.
Similarly, in his two starts at the beginning, against Almeria and Real Sociedad, he demonstrated that his distribution prowess is simply unmatched.
It is believed that while Ancelotti acknowledges the arsenal of tools available to him, as a precaution, Kroos readies a gift for him before each match. A gift of unquestionable performance.
Nico Paz was long hyped as Real Madrid Castilla’s brightest upcoming star. The media constantly kept the spotlight on the young Argentine through pre-season as he made a strong impression under Carlo Ancelotti in preseason.
His breakthrough eventually arrived, courtesy of Real Madrid’s injury crisis. He has now made two appearances for the team in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League and even recorded his first goal for the club earlier this week against Napoli.
Taking his chances
As revealed by AS (h/t The Madrid Zone), Paz has impressed management with his cameo against Napoli and will be called up for Real Madrid’s clash against Granada tomorrow.
In fact, there is a good chance he sees significant game time on the night.
After all, Ancelotti is without the likes of Luka Modric, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga in the middle of the park.
With Toni Kroos, Dani Ceballos, Federico Valverde, and Jude Bellingham filling the starting spots, Paz serves as the manager’s first-choice backup off the bench.
Paz voices his elation
Paz’s introduction against Napoli changed the texture of the game, and it was only poetic that he got the goal that put Real Madrid ahead again on the night.
Speaking to the media after his special night, the Castilla star did not hold back on his emotions.
“This is a dream. For a moment I didn’t even believe it. Very happy to be able to help the team. I dared. I was in automatic mode, I didn’t even know what I was doing. I hit it and well.”
“This is also a message for the other youth players: it is possible to get there. Ancelotti congratulated me, and the whole staff. They are an incredible group and I want to thank them all,” he added, urging his Castilla teammates to keep pushing.
