Real Madrid have started off the season in fine form, scoring 16 goals in their six matches so far. Los Blancos have come out victorious in each of fixture too.
At the heart of that is Toni Kroos. The German midfielder was not immune to criticism last season and out of the trio of Casemiro, Luka Modric and Kroos, he was often singled out as the most dispensable.
This campaign Kroos has started in brilliant form, imperious in his control of the game. In their first Champions League match, Kroos was close to perfect against Celtic, who are renowned for their excellent pressing.
Below Squawka highlighted just how good his statistics were from the match.
Toni Kroos' passing against Celtic:
◉ 136 touches
◉ 124 passes attempted
◉ 119 passes completed
◉ 17 long balls attempted
◉ 17 long balls completedKroos control. ™️ #UCL pic.twitter.com/WTA1UwaLA2
— Squawka (@Squawka) September 6, 2022
That equals out as a 96% pass completion rate and perhaps most remarkably, only 12 of his 136 touches were not used to pass the ball.
Those numbers back up his start in La Liga, where he ranks fifth for progressive passes and second for passes into the final third, as per fbref.
Clearly the increased competition in midfield is bringing the best out of Kroos, who once again looks back to his best.
