MY OPINION:

Taking advantage of the FIFA dates, which take him away from his boss for the rest of the year, Kroos reminded Lopetegui that it is not Casemiro. Indeed. His nature as a player is another. Kroos is an interior of creation and support to the attack, with more interest for what happens near the opposite area than close to his own. In the Bernabéu, many people have it fixed: he returns too slowly. These things are appreciated more in the field than on TV. They pick up better Modric and Isco. He is what coaches of another time called 'players river', always enthusiastic to play up, but reluctant to return in support of the defense.

The confusion comes from the fact that at first he tried harder. When he arrived, Ancelotti composed the center of the field with him half-center, flanked by Modric and James, with frequent appearances by Isco. He was a 24-year-old boy, high on promise at Bayern to start at Madrid, and did what he could, and what he could was less as time passed. Benítez signed Casemiro, but, conditioned by the need to put all the expensive cards, he ate a 0-4 against Barca with Kroos midfielder and fell. Zidane also started with him there, until he decided to install Casemiro sacrificing James and his successes came.

That's the movie when it comes to Madrid. As for him, that meritorious 24-year-old who was running for a place in Real Madrid is already on his way to the 29, and in this time he has won three Champions with Madrid and one World Cup with Germany. Of course, it feels titularísimo, but in its own. It is no longer seen to stop and give balance, even for the rare occasions when Casemiro may be missing, and so he says, in case he does not leave it clear enough when they put him there. We tend to see German players as machines, but they are also boys who have their whims when they come to figures.