Kroos: The perfect midfielder

Toni Kroos was part of the Real Madrid team that took a priceless 1-0 victory away from Atalanta, but when Ferland Mendy fired the ball into the corner of the net the German midfielder merely walked slowly back to the centre of the pitch.

He is always calm and Vicente del Bosque believes he is the perfect midfielder.

Since he arrived at Real Madrid, there is nobody in European football who takes care of the ball quite like the former Bayern Munich star does.

In his Los Blancos career, he has made 21,057 passes with a completion rating of 93.34 percent. The next closest player to him is Sergio Busquets of Barcelona who, in 21 more matches, has made 20,989 passes with a completion percentage of 90.65 percent.

"The really good guy is No.39, the youngest, Kroos," explained Vicente del Bosque back in 2012 when Bayern Munich defeated Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Almost a decade later and Kroos has cemented himself in Real Madrid folklore, forming part of the team that won three consecutive Champions League titles.

"He is vital to the team," Del Bosque said, speaking in a recent interview with MARCA.

"He does many things, all with amazing simplicity.

"What stands out about him is his ability to choose well. He always opts for the right choice.

"He is one of those midfielders with the ability to play it short and move with success, or pass over medium distances with expert precision."