DFB.de regularly introduces a player from the national team who has a particularly significant weekend coming up. Today we’ve selected Toni Kroos, who is set to take part in his second El Clasico in La Liga as Real Madrid take on Barcelona on Sunday.
Real Madrid and Toni Kroos are gearing up for the match of all football matches. The anticipation and excitement is mounting ahead of "El Clasico." Barcelona will host their closest rivals Real Madrid on Sunday.
It will be the German international’s second El Clasico; his first one left a lasting impression. It's not like Toni Kroos hasn't appeared in big games prior to his time in Madrid. He’s played in matches between FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund, the German equivalent of the El Clasico, as well as the Champions League final at home in Munich against Chelsea. The magical night in the Maracana when Germany triumphed to become World Cup Champions will surely top the list though.
Kroos still gets goosebumps
Kroos' first El Clasico was on 25th October last year and he immediately realised the enormity of the encounter and how similar it is to any of his previous big games. The trip to the stadium alone was an experience in itself as thousands of Madridistas dressed in white filled the streets of the Spanish capital. Kroos still gets goose bumps today when he thinks back to that day. "It was extremely impressive and difficult to understand if you haven’t experienced it first hand," said Kroos. "We were extremely happy to win the game and give our fans something to celebrate." Kroos’ first taste of the El Clasico came 100 days after he signed for Madrid. "It was my first El Clasico and we won 3-1! I was very, very pleased," Kroos explained.
The Spanish media were euphoric in their praise as they assessed Kroos' stats from his first El Clasico. One particularly impressive stat was that 57 of his 59 passes were successful and reached a teammate. Furthermore, Kroos provided the assist for Pepe's goal, which made it 2-1. The newspaper articles were filled with praise for the World Champion. The Marca wrote the following: "Kroos is like a precision watch. His game is more accurate than a well-oiled German automobile. He knew exactly when to inject Real Madrid's game with pace and when to slow things down. It was a fantastic performance by the German international. No one will miss Xabi Alonso, as long as Kroos continues to put in such top performances and play with such accuracy. He gives Real's game purpose and structure. Kroos was a mixture of architect and surgeon."
The victory against Barca saw Real cut their rival’s lead to just one point in the standings. Barca, who currently top the league with 65 points, still hold a one point advantage over Real.
Real find form just in time
DFB.de regularly introduces a player from the national team who has a particularly significant weekend coming up. Today we’ve selected Toni Kroos, who is set to take part in his second El Clasico in La Liga as Real Madrid take on Barcelona on Sunday.
Real Madrid and Toni Kroos are gearing up for the match of all football matches. The anticipation and excitement is mounting ahead of "El Clasico." Barcelona will host their closest rivals Real Madrid on Sunday.
It will be the German international’s second El Clasico; his first one left a lasting impression. It's not like Toni Kroos hasn't appeared in big games prior to his time in Madrid. He’s played in matches between FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund, the German equivalent of the El Clasico, as well as the Champions League final at home in Munich against Chelsea. The magical night in the Maracana when Germany triumphed to become World Cup Champions will surely top the list though.
Kroos still gets goosebumps
Kroos' first El Clasico was on 25th October last year and he immediately realised the enormity of the encounter and how similar it is to any of his previous big games. The trip to the stadium alone was an experience in itself as thousands of Madridistas dressed in white filled the streets of the Spanish capital. Kroos still gets goose bumps today when he thinks back to that day. "It was extremely impressive and difficult to understand if you haven’t experienced it first hand," said Kroos. "We were extremely happy to win the game and give our fans something to celebrate." Kroos’ first taste of the El Clasico came 100 days after he signed for Madrid. "It was my first El Clasico and we won 3-1! I was very, very pleased," Kroos explained.
The Spanish media were euphoric in their praise as they assessed Kroos' stats from his first El Clasico. One particularly impressive stat was that 57 of his 59 passes were successful and reached a teammate. Furthermore, Kroos provided the assist for Pepe's goal, which made it 2-1. The newspaper articles were filled with praise for the World Champion. The Marca wrote the following: "Kroos is like a precision watch. His game is more accurate than a well-oiled German automobile. He knew exactly when to inject Real Madrid's game with pace and when to slow things down. It was a fantastic performance by the German international. No one will miss Xabi Alonso, as long as Kroos continues to put in such top performances and play with such accuracy. He gives Real's game purpose and structure. Kroos was a mixture of architect and surgeon."
The victory against Barca saw Real cut their rival’s lead to just one point in the standings. Barca, who currently top the league with 65 points, still hold a one point advantage over Real.
Real find form just in time
Real Madrid have struggled recently. Barcelona were able to overtake them in the standings after they lost to Atletico (4-0) and Bilbao (1-0) and drew with Villarreal (1-1) in February and early March. A 2-0 victory against Levante has helped Real get back on track, just in time for this crunch match. Real manager Carlo Ancelotti was even able to rest Kroos against Levante, in order for him to be fully fit and available (suspension looms with his next yellow card) for the Barca clash. Prior to the Levante game, Kroos had played 2,263 out of a possible 2,340 minutes in La Liga. He was only subbed off when the game had been put to bed.
Kroos is expected to feature on Sunday. The four most recent El Clasicos in the Nou Camp have all been incredibly close, finishing 1-1, 1-2, 2-2 and 2-1; both teams managed one victory each and the other two games ended in a draw. Kroos is eager to make his first appearance in an El Clasico held at the Nou Camp. He shared his excitement on his Facebook page by posting a video of his assist from his first El Clasico and adding the message: "Can't wait for El Clasico...".
