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Real Madrid have had a positive run in La Liga in what has been a very open season so far. They also sit top of their Champions League group and although Carlo Ancelotti believes there is room for improvement, he would be happy with what he has seen. The Los Blancos shipped some players away from their squad in the summer and welcomed David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga.
The new recruits have adapted well and have contributed quite immensely to their campaign so far whenever involved. The limelight of Los Blancos' campaign, though, has been hogged by Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior.
Ancelotti seems to have brought out the best in Vinicius, who was criticized for his inconsistency and lack of a final product. Benzema, on the other hand, has continued his prolific form for Real Madrid and is on his way to another goal-rich campaign.
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Real Madrid have some world class players in their core
Real Madrid play possession-based football and are able to assert their strong character because of some very talented individuals in their ranks. Their decision-making has been top notch so far this season with the ball at their feet and the distribution has been decisive.
They have played out from the back with little to no hassle, have knitted neat passes and knocked the ball effectively in the final third. Real Madrid play a demanding system and some players have really anchored some critical points on the pitch with great command to make it possible.
Here are the five best passers at Real Madrid this season:
#5 Luka Modric
At 36, Luka Modric has shown his longetivity and his ability to perform consistently at the top-level is commendable. As per reports, Real Madrid are more than happy with his performances and wish to extend his contract by two years. He works hard on both ends of the pitch thanks to his great anticipation of the game.
The Croatian has managed to make 384 successful passes out of the 442 he has attempted in La Liga. It has been difficult for him to build rhythm this season due to adductor and muscular problems but in his seven appearances he has played his part.
The best part about Real Madrid's No.10 is his progressive passing and the ability to create space for himself. He has not been the most extensive source of long passes at Real Madrid but he has completed other passes with an average accuracy of 90 per cent.
The Croatian is often seen helping his team-mates out of tight spaces and is effective at wriggling past opponents himself.
#4 Toni Kroos
Gifted with sniper vision, Toni Kroos is undoubtedly one of the best when it comes to distributing the ball. He slows down the pace of the game for Real Madrid when there is a need, pushes up the tempo when urgency is required and is one of the best orchestrators of this generation.
Kroos missed a large chunk of the campaign due to a Pubis bone problem otherwise there is no doubt he would be on the top of this list. Despite only featuring in five La Liga games this season, Kroos has already made 363 successful passes.
The German makes Real Madrid's midfield tick and, though he's not the fastest, his slicing passes and gliding long balls do the job for him.
He found the top corner for his first goal of the season with a sublime strike in the 2-1 win against Rayo Vallecano. He has made 53 passes into the final third this season, the tenth most in La Liga. This is despite him featuring in half the games then everyone above him in the tally.
The midfielder's contract runs out in 2023, but rumors of a transfer have been emerging every now and then. Real Madrid will hope that their midfield maestro stays fit throughout the better part of the ongoing season.
#3 Casemiro
In the absence of Modric and Kroos in the Real Madrid midfield, Casemiro has been a real leader. He's given a lot of confidence to the likes of Camavinga and Fede Valverde and his assuring presence has provided a cushion to the backline as always.
The Brazilian has made 11 appearances for Real Madrid in La Liga and completed 90 mins nine times. He played the most passes from the team into the final third, a total of 61. Casemiro recently played is 300th game for Los Blancos and for half a decade, he has been a formidable player.
He has completed a total of 531 passes and played 116 long balls in La Liga this term. Whenever the Brazilian goes through a patch of bad form, the team has visibly suffered, but thankfully for Real Madrid those days have been very few in number.
The 29-year old has signed a long-term contract that will keep him with the Spanish giants until 2025.
#2 David Alaba
Los Blancos had to do one of the most difficult things as far as the transfer business was concerned this summer. The ever-so-successful and solid pairing of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane left the club for PSG and Manchester United respectively.
Real Madrid had to ensure that their successors were as good as them if not better. In comes David Alaba from Bayern Munich and he's not put a foot wrong since wearing that white jersey.
His versatality has seen him deployed both as a centre-back and left-back and he's nailed both roles. Alaba's passing has been decisive and progressive, helping the team stay on the front foot.
He played 50 passes into the final third, the third most by any defender in La Liga this season. The Austrian has also played 87 long balls and has only missed one game for Ancelotti's side this season.
He has attempted a total of 704 passes of which 634 have successfully found its recipient. Alaba scored on his El Clasico debut in Barcelona's 2-1 defeat by Real Madrid. He has also provided three assists in La Liga.
#1 Eder Militao
Real Madrid had some sense of security concerning the absence of Sergio Ramos last season, with Eder Militao deputizing for their captain to great effect. This season he has had to step up to play regularly, anchoring the backline and contributing to Real Madrid's faster transitions.
The Brazilian has not missed a single game for Los Blancos this season and is the best passer in their team. One would think that Militao, being a defender, plays a lot of passes with the back-line but he's driven upwards, played into the midfield and final third as well.
He has played the maximum number of long passes in the Real Madrid team (126) and has been crucial in building the play from the back. His strong mentality is visible when the Spanish giants have been pipped against top-quality opposition.
Los Blancos are rumored to be preparing a new long-term contract for their centre-back and he completely deserves it.
