Defensive Midfielder: Casemiro
Real Madrid have made a name for themselves as being a star-studded team. However, the most underrated and underappreciated member of this team of Galacticos is undoubtedly Casemiro. The Brazilian midfielder does all the dirty work for his team, allowing the more creative players to bomb up the pitch and wreck havoc.
In the final against Juventus, he even beat Buffon with a long-range strike which took a wicked deflection before nestling into the bottom corner. The tenacious midfielder is excellent with his tackling and does not shy away from a challenge – be it aerial or on the ground. Probably the most underrated virtue of his game is to commit fouls at regular intervals to stop the opposition from settling into their rhythm and that too without incensing the referee, or going into his books.
Central Midfielder: Thiago Alcantara
Bayern Munich may have been knocked out of the tournament in the quarter-finals after losing to Real Madrid in a game marred with poor decision making from the referees, so much so that you can also call it scandalous. However, that isn’t intended to take anything away from Los Blancos, who were just the better team on the night.
However, one bright spark in what was a dismal campaign for the Bavarians was the emergence of Thiago Alcantara. Now, I am not saying Alcantara has just emerged as a midfielder, or he was a name unheard of, just that the former Barcelona man has established himself as one of the best central midfielders in the game presently. Blessed with an eye for goal and a knack for picking out his teammates with pinpoint through balls, the 26-year-old is the quintessential midfielder.
Not only is he good in attack, he is equally adept at holding the ball, recycling possession and above all, defending. The Spaniard had the most interceptions per game in all of Europe, a staggering 4.6 per game. Thiago was excellent for Bayern Munich and although he failed this time, it wouldn’t be long before he guides them to European success.
Central Midfielder: Toni Kroos
Toni Kroos has been one of the best midfielders in football for a while now. It is his well-rounded game that makes the German a threat both in attack and defence. Blessed with an eye for goal and a nose to sniff out opportunities, the 27-year-old orchestrates play from the middle of the park and does so with aplomb, as is proven by his stats this season, which read – 17 assists and 4 goals across all competitions.
However, it is his defensive discipline and the high level of concentration that he displays which make him stand out on the pitch. The German is the one that keeps Los Blancos ticking while ensuring that the overly enthusiastic defence is not exposed ever so often.
Kroos combined with Luka Modric excellently to overrun the midfield of Juventus in the final and it was one of the main reasons why the Old Lady lost the plot in the second half of the game, which ended up costing them the elusive title. The former Bayern Munich man is only going to improve and will continue to be a match-winner for Zidane’s side in the years to come.
