Fans noticed how instrumental Toni Kroos was in Real Madrid’s first game on Tuesday night, pointing Vinicius Jr in the direction to run.
Vinicius Jr opened the scoring for the visitors at Bayern Munich in the 24th minute of the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals.
Fans on X (formerly Twitter) were impressed with the 34-year-old’s “football IQ” and the way he was able to train on the pitch against his former club.
Kroos was a Bayern Munich player as a youth player, before moving up to the senior ranks and eventually leaving the club for Real Madrid in 2014.
One fan wrote “Toni Kroos is eternal, the ultimate midfield boss,” alongside a goat emoji, while someone said the German was “literally training on the pitch.”
Another said “His football IQ man”, while another said Kroos was “playing 3D chess” alongside a crystal ball and magic wand to represent the majesty of his act.
Another X user wrote: “The way Kroos reads the game while on the pitch is by far the most impressive skill a player has ever had…
“He’s on a different wavelength. It’s like he’s reliving a memory, not creating one.
One simply summed it up by saying, “This guy is on another level.”
Of the goal, TNT Sports pundit Michael Owen said: “It’s a basic striker game, you always give one for the defender and one for yourself.” You come in, you come in, he never had the intention of getting that ball to Vinicius Jr.’s feet.
Fans noticed the fundamental role of Toni Kroos in Vinicius Jr’s first goal for Real Madrid
“I just wanted to create more space and suddenly his eyes light up as if to say, ‘He (the defender) is coming with me.’
“Turn and enter, it’s very simple, don’t get me wrong at the moment of the pass, everything has to be perfect.” But it is a very basic game, something you learn in school. Kim (Min-jae) got very absorbed there.’
More to continue…
