Toni Kroos is one particular player who brings some levels of joy to many Real Madrid fans thanks to his ability to command of the midfield alongside Luka Modric for the Spanish giants. The German has proven to be a great midfielder not only at the Santiago Bernabeu, but also at the European Championship in France.
But in a sea crowded with world-class midfielders, where does the 26-year-old star rank? Is he the best in this year's edition of the tournament? The answer is a simple but reluctant NO. Although he has been outstanding for Joachim Low's side, he comes second to one of his teammates at the competition - at least on paper.
Toni Kroos in action for Germany at the Euro 2016 in France
Let’s face it; there are approximately eight star midfielders remaining at the stage of the Euro 2016 in France. Here is how Kroos compares to each one of them in terms of the percentage of completed passes so far in the tournament:
Completed passes in the Euro 2016
Toni Kroos (Germany) – 94%
Blaise Matuidi (France) – 93%
Moussa Sissoko (France) – 92%
Mesut Ozil (Germany) – 91%
Renato Sanches (Portugal) – 91%
Joe Allen (Wales) – 89%
Paul Pogba (France) – 89%
Joao Mario (Portugal) – 88%
Now let’s have a look at how the Die Mannschaft man compares to the top eight midfielders who have the highest percentage of completed passes in the semi-finals of the tournament. We will also look at how they have been performing in terms of goals scored and assists provided so far.
Goals and assists in the Euro 2016
Toni Kroos (Germany) – 0 goals and 1 assists
Blaise Matuidi (France) – 0 goals and 0 assists
Moussa Sissoko (France) – 0 goals and 0 assists
Mesut Ozil (Germany) – 1 goal and 1 assist
Renato Sanches (Portugal) – 1 goal and 0 assist
Joe Allen (Wales) – 0 goals and 0 assists
Paul Pogba (France) – 1 goal and 0 assists
Joao Mario (Portugal) – 0 goals and 0 assists
Based on these statistics, Kroos has been influential for Joachim Low’s side. But Mesut Ozil stands out as the best midfielder in the competition, on paper. With one goal and one assist to his name already, not forgetting his 92% pass completion rate, the Arsenal star undoubtedly comes first.
Ozil celebrates scoring against Italy in the quarter-finals of the European Championship in France
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