Toni Kroos put in an impressive display during Real Madrid‘s 3-1 victory over Liverpool on Tuesday night.
Zinedine Zidane’s men took control of their Champions League quarter-final tie after goals from Vinicius Junior (x2) and Marco Asensio.
But they also had Kroos to thank, with the midfielder instrumental in providing Real with a platform to potentially advance.
The German playmaker is known for the large extent of his passing range from a deep midfield role, and he demonstrated his immense skill on the ball once again last night.
He played a part in creating the opening two of Real’s three goals.
His assist for the first goal was arguably the highlight of the match. Kroos chipped the ball exquisitely over the Liverpool defence and into the path of Vinicius, who chested it down before finishing past Alisson with aplomb.
Another Kroos long range pass then caused problems amongst the Reds backline, with Marco Asensio eventually finishing off the move to extend Real’s advantage to 2-0.
The 31-year-old completed 91% of his passes, as well as providing four key passes to his team-mates – more than any other player on the pitch.
It was another masterclass of a performance from a player that ranks as one of Europe’s best midfielders.
Kroos discusses Vinicius assist
After the game, Kroos spoke about the thought process behind his assist for Vinicius’s opener.
He said: “It’s my job as a midfielder to bring our game forward.
“Of course, sometimes you can achieve a goal with a good pass, sometimes not.
“But I always try to bring our game forward and when it’s possible also to play these long balls.
“I saw some space behind the defenders of Liverpool, Vinicius had a good run, he gave me the option to give the pass.
“It went well.”
The second leg of the quarter-final tie takes place at Anfield on April 13.
Prior to that, Real are in El Clasico action against Barcelona on April 10. Their captain Sergio Ramos could miss both games due to a muscle injury.
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