Atletico Madrid 1-3 Real Madrid: Talking Points and Observations

#3 Toni Kroos, not Luka Modric, is Solari's key man in the middle.

Kroos is doing far more off the ball work than in previous seasons, and the team looks that much sharper for it.

Having seen all of Madrid's games this season, there is one thing that is becoming more and more evident as the games go by. Toni Kroos' rising importance in the new system is supreme, as has been more than evident in the past 6-7 games, as Madrid have started to set up in a more aggressive manner when they do not have the ball.

The man who is key to this transition is none other than the German metronome we know as Toni Kroos. The #8 is the first player to start running towards the opposition when the team loses the ball, and his pressing over the last few games has been one of his standout traits.

He is not really known for his ball-winning or defensive capabilities, but the German is working on that area of his game more and more under Solari, as he looks to relieve Modric of some of his defensive strain, given that the Croat Ballon d'Or winner is 33 and not getting younger.