“Congratulations City” - Real Madrid fans think they ‘will be destroyed’ due to one player’s inclusion in the starting XI

A section of Real Madrid fans online are not happy with the inclusion of Toni Kroos in the starting XI for their second-leg fixture against Manchester City in the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday, May 4.

Los Blancos are currently 4-3 down from the first leg but have home advantage to rely on in the second leg of the tie.

Toni Kroos has been one of Los Blancos' most important players over the past few seasons. However, the German midfielder has had indifferent form this season. Kroos has slowed down due to his age, which has resulted in a weakened midfield. His stocks have also dropped since the arrival of Eduardo Camavinga last summer.

Real Madrid fans on Twitter believe that Toni Kroos should not have started in arguably their most important game of the season so far. Many have also suggested that his inclusion gives Manchester City a clear advantage in the tie.

Toni Kroos did play the full 90 minutes during the first leg of the semifinal tie, which Carlo Ancelotti's side lost 4-3. The 32-year-old midfielder had a lackluster game at the Etihad Stadium. However, he was deployed as a defensive midfielder due to the absence of Casemiro.

Toni Kroos has made 39 appearances for Real Madrid this season, with 10 of them coming in the Champions League. The former German international has contributed three goals and three assists this season across all competitions.

Real Madrid or Manchester City will face Liverpool in the final

Either Real Madrid or Manchester City will face Liverpool in the Champions League final in Paris later this month on May 28. Liverpool secured a 5-2 aggregate win over La Liga outfit Villarreal in their semi-finals.

It is worth mentioning that Real Madrid faced Liverpool in a Champions League final back in 2018. They secured a 3-1 win on that occasion with Gareth Bale scoring a brace along with a goal from Karim Benzema.

Both Los Blancos and Man City are chasing a league and Champions League double. Carlo Ancelotti's side have already secured the La Liga title following their 4-0 victory over Espanyol at the weekend.

Manchester City, meanwhile, are involved in a tightly-contested title race with none other than Liverpool. City are currently at the top of the standings but are only a point clear of the Reds with four games remaining in the season.

About the author

Vatsal Vora is a journalist covering football at Sportskeeda. He has a Master's degree in Sports Communication and Journalism from Swansea University in the UK. His proudest work achievement was when he got to interview Jon Grey in December 2022 when he was the manager of Swansea City FC's U21 side. Vatsal stays up-to-date with the latest news and trends and shares them with readers. His dream is to interview Xabi Alonso, his favorite football player of all time.

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