Calmness on the ball, tactical awareness, outstanding passing ability - Toni Kroos has everything going for him. The Germany international showed his class once again in Real Madrid’s 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund. The World Cup winner sits down with DFB.de to talk about his return to Germany and his team’s Champions League title defence.
DFB.de: Toni, did you want to prove your critics in Spain wrong tonight?
Toni Kroos: I don’t really listen to the Spanish critics at all, to be perfectly honest. We don’t need to prove anything to anyone. We just wanted to show that we were good enough to win here, and I think we did that (laughs).
DFB.de: It’s not easy to come here and win. Today was Real’s seventh trip to Dortmund, and it’s the first time it’s ended in victory. What does this win mean for the Champions League title holders?
Kroos: I haven’t really seen many of the other games between the two teams, that’s in the past now. I played in the game last year which ended in a 2-2 draw though. However, we’re well aware of that statistic, so we used it as a little incentive, because Real Madrid should always win.
DFB.de: Did you think Borussia Dortmund were a bit naïve today?
Kroos: It’s not down to me to analyse their performance. I know that we played well though, and we made sure to use their weaknesses to our advantage. We used the space that Dortmund gave us really well. But if I’m being honest, we should have scored two or three more goals.
DFB.de: Were Real tactically or individually better?
Kroos: I think our tactics worked a bit better today, because we managed to make use of our opportunities when they gave the ball away really well. We pushed forwards as a team, and got into dangerous areas quickly to put pressure on their goal. It wasn’t just that though, as we also played very confidently on the ball. You can see that in action in the build up to the second goal, before we struck at the perfect moment. We managed to find a good balance of counter attacking and possession play. There were a few moments in the game when Dortmund put us under pressure though, but that’s to be expected when you come here - it’s not easy.
DFB.de: You personally were instrumental in managing the pace of the game today. Did you set out to be effective in that regard?
Kroos: We executed our tactics well, but I wouldn’t say we were effective. We had seven or eight chances which we definitely should have made more of. We have to keep working on it.
DFB.de: You always hear that Real Madrid aren’t at their best in the Autumn. Seeing as you won convincingly today, what’s going to happen when you start playing well then?
Kroos: Well, we haven’t been in good form coming into the game today, because we’ve gone a couple of league games without winning now. Tonight though, we were back to our best. We obviously try to win every game, and play at a top level. But sometimes that just doesn’t happen. Today was great, but we’re going to stay grounded and stay fully focused on the tasks ahead of us. We’re seven points off the top in the league now, so we have to try and work our way back up the table.
DFB.de: Cristiano Ronaldo finally scored again tonight. Is this overplayed media narrative going to come to an end now?
Kroos: I really don’t get involved with what the media have to say at all. What I will say is that Cristiano has been banned for four games, and before that he scored against Barcelona. In the one Champions League game he could play in he scored twice. He scored twice again tonight. I think that puts an end to that, no?
DFB.de: Is it a special feeling to play in Germany?
Kroos: I love coming back home to Germany. You get to see lots of the players that I play with for the national side, or even some that I’ve played with at a club level previously in my career. So yes, it’s always really special to come back here.
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Calmness on the ball, tactical awareness, outstanding passing ability - Toni Kroos has everything going for him. The Germany international showed his class once again in Real Madrid’s 3-1 win over Borussia Dortmund. The World Cup winner sits down with DFB.de to talk about his return to Germany and his team’s Champions League title defence.
DFB.de: Toni, did you want to prove your critics in Spain wrong tonight?
Toni Kroos: I don’t really listen to the Spanish critics at all, to be perfectly honest. We don’t need to prove anything to anyone. We just wanted to show that we were good enough to win here, and I think we did that (laughs).
DFB.de: It’s not easy to come here and win. Today was Real’s seventh trip to Dortmund, and it’s the first time it’s ended in victory. What does this win mean for the Champions League title holders?
Kroos: I haven’t really seen many of the other games between the two teams, that’s in the past now. I played in the game last year which ended in a 2-2 draw though. However, we’re well aware of that statistic, so we used it as a little incentive, because Real Madrid should always win.
DFB.de: Did you think Borussia Dortmund were a bit naïve today?
Kroos: It’s not down to me to analyse their performance. I know that we played well though, and we made sure to use their weaknesses to our advantage. We used the space that Dortmund gave us really well. But if I’m being honest, we should have scored two or three more goals.
DFB.de: Were Real tactically or individually better?
Kroos: I think our tactics worked a bit better today, because we managed to make use of our opportunities when they gave the ball away really well. We pushed forwards as a team, and got into dangerous areas quickly to put pressure on their goal. It wasn’t just that though, as we also played very confidently on the ball. You can see that in action in the build up to the second goal, before we struck at the perfect moment. We managed to find a good balance of counter attacking and possession play. There were a few moments in the game when Dortmund put us under pressure though, but that’s to be expected when you come here - it’s not easy.
DFB.de: You personally were instrumental in managing the pace of the game today. Did you set out to be effective in that regard?
Kroos: We executed our tactics well, but I wouldn’t say we were effective. We had seven or eight chances which we definitely should have made more of. We have to keep working on it.
DFB.de: You always hear that Real Madrid aren’t at their best in the Autumn. Seeing as you won convincingly today, what’s going to happen when you start playing well then?
Kroos: Well, we haven’t been in good form coming into the game today, because we’ve gone a couple of league games without winning now. Tonight though, we were back to our best. We obviously try to win every game, and play at a top level. But sometimes that just doesn’t happen. Today was great, but we’re going to stay grounded and stay fully focused on the tasks ahead of us. We’re seven points off the top in the league now, so we have to try and work our way back up the table.
DFB.de: Cristiano Ronaldo finally scored again tonight. Is this overplayed media narrative going to come to an end now?
Kroos: I really don’t get involved with what the media have to say at all. What I will say is that Cristiano has been banned for four games, and before that he scored against Barcelona. In the one Champions League game he could play in he scored twice. He scored twice again tonight. I think that puts an end to that, no?
DFB.de: Is it a special feeling to play in Germany?
Kroos: I love coming back home to Germany. You get to see lots of the players that I play with for the national side, or even some that I’ve played with at a club level previously in my career. So yes, it’s always really special to come back here.
