Kroos is still king

Kroos feels like he's from another planet. Almost perfect matches, with an effectiveness within reach of very few, with a privileged vision of the game. So he showed against Valencia.

As 'Mundo Deportivo' points out, the German midfielder signed a round number of completed passes: 100. A hundred at the foot of a teammate, and only five missed. That's more than 90 per cent effectiveness rate. 71 of the 100 went forward.

He took advantage of Casemiro, a surefire last line of defence before the centre-halves, to feel more organised. His association with Modric, back to the midfield as in the past, surprised and marvelled Madrid fans last night.

And he also highlighted his connection with Hazard. The aforementioned midfielder says that he gave the Belgian 16 passes and that he returned 14 balls to him. Madrid is still adjusting after the break, but it seems that the pieces are beginning to fit together.