News
VIE 01.05.2015
Matchday 35 of the Liga BBVA throws up a tactical duel as Real Madrid travel to the Sánchez Pizjuán, a stadium yet to be conquered by a single away team this season, with plenty at stake for both sides.
Sevilla FC are vying for a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League, while los blancos cannot afford to slip any further behind FC Barcelona in the race for the league title. This six-pointer between two of the Liga BBVA’s stronger sides will also include a head-to-head between two of Spanish topflight’s most frequently appearing midfielders: Grzegorz Krychowiak and Toni Kroos.
The Polish midfielder joined the Andalusian club during the summer and has established himself as a key figure in the plans of his manager, Unai Emery. With 2491 of playing time under his belt, the international has become the Basque coach’s most utilised player. As such, in less than a year Krychowiak has turned into one of Sevilla FC’s main men in the centre of park.
The same is true for his counterpart, Toni Kroos. The German, only behind Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of minutes played for Real Madrid this season, has racked up a total 2679 Liga BBVA minutes. After winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup with Germany and seeing out a fine season with Bayern Munich, Kroos has more than lived up to the tricky task of replacing Xabi Alonso, a pillar for Real Madrid over the last few years.
Both players have impressed with regards to the numbers they have been racking up, as well as with the ball at their feet. They each top the charts for their respective teams in terms of number of passes. The Sevilla man has passed the ball 1425 times, an average of 49 passes per game. Krychowiak has provided one assist and has also found his fellow team-mates with 115 long balls and 1037 short passes with an 80% success rate.
Meanwhile, Kroos has made 2085 passes, of which his 180 long balls and 1739 short passes stand out. He has also provided seven assists and scored twice, as has the Polish midfielder. Impressive numbers for two players whose use of the ball could determine the outcome of the meeting between Sevilla and Real Madrid.
|
Stats/Player |
Krychowiak |
Toni Kroos |
|
Games played |
29 |
32 |
|
Completed passes |
1425 |
2170 |
|
Completed long balls |
115 |
192 |
|
Completed short passes |
1037 |
1809 |
|
Assists |
1 |
7 |
|
Goals |
2 |
2 |
|
Shots |
24 |
23 |
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