Kroos and Modric rise above the rest

In the last decade, Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have won countless trophies, broke records and claimed individual awards, but collective success has always coincided with the quality of the midfielders who played alongside them. When Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Andres Iniesta were performing at their best, Barcelona ruled Spain and Europe. Then it was the turn of the trio consisting of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, which helped Real Madrid win four Champions Leagues with Cristiano taking care of business up front.

Age catches up on everyone, including the geniuses, but when they go through a patch of good form, as Kroos and Modric are now, they prove their fundamental value. There is no duo like them in world football. Zinedine Zidane said it as clearly as possible after the game.

"They're f*cking great, they're exceptional," the coach said after the game.

On Saturday, it mattered little that Casemiro is still well below his usual level. The German and the Croatian did enough win the midfield battle, as Simeone's five in the middle chased shadows throughout the first half and much of the second. Against Borussia Monchengladbach it was Modric who ran the show, while Kroos stood out in the derby as an omnipresent conductor.

It seems simple, something natural, but then you look at 200 other midfielders and you don't find anyone capable of imitating that precision. Atletico were guilty of a lack of intensity - their biggest mistake was letting Kroos and Modric dominate the ball without sufficient pressure. If you allow them to move the ball at their own pace, you can say goodbye to the ball and the game.