Kroos spoke about the remarkable improvement of Bayern Munich defender Upamecano on the podcast "Einfach mal Luppen," praising his performances.
Upamecano has long been an important part of the Bayern squad, and this season his performances have particularly impressed Kroos. Kroos pointed to a clear change in the Frenchman: not only has his form improved, but he now also shows a completely different level of confidence and presence on the pitch.
Kroos said: "He has always been an excellent one-on-one defender, but the presence he shows now is on another level."
Kroos praises Upamecano
In the past, Upamecano was often plagued by individual errors. His lapses in concentration, especially in big Champions League matches, frequently drew criticism. That problem now appears to have been largely resolved.
Kroos stated: "You could always see he had the ability, but in the past he often made crucial mistakes or lost concentration. He has significantly reduced those issues."
Kroos cited Bayern's 2-0 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid a few days ago as an example. In that match, Upamecano repeatedly went head-to-head with world-class forward Álvarez, and the Argentine found it almost impossible to get past the Bayern defender.
Kroos was particularly impressed by the French defender's dominance in physical duels.
He said: "Take his duels with Álvarez, for example. Álvarez is a world-class striker, but Upamecano, with that kind of impact and presence, simply pushed him aside and defended superbly."
Kroos concluded with a clear assessment: "He is at an incredible level right now."