Real Madrid are not the same without Toni Kroos and the numbers prove it

Real Madrid’s recent 0-1 defeat to Lille has highlighted a significant problem within the squad: the inability to control the tempo of the game effectively.

This issue has drawn attention to a gap in the current lineup, one that no player has managed to fill since the departure of midfield maestro Toni Kroos.

While it may seem harsh, the assessment of former director of football Predrag Mijatovic rings true.

Real Madrid’s current midfielders, including Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde, and Jude Bellingham, have not managed to replicate what Kroos consistently brought to the team.

Kroos was a player who could dictate the pace of the game, bringing calm and control in crucial moments.

His ability to move the ball from side to side, slowing down or speeding up the tempo depending on the situation, was invaluable to Real Madrid. This ability is now glaringly absent from the current squad.