"He handles the pressure effortlessly" - Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel praises Real Madrid superstar ahead of UCL clash
Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel recently praised Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos for his incredible composure under pressure. The German tactician made the comments before the second leg of the two sides' crucial Champions League semi-final clash.
Kroos is one of the best passers of the ball in football history. Even under pressure, the German displays impeccable calmness and precision. This quality has made him one of the best midfielders in world football for the previous decade.
Kroos has been a crucial cog in Real Madrid's midfield since joining the club in 2014, having bagged 28 goals and 97 assists in 460 games for the club across all competitions.
Bayern manager Tuchel lavished praised on Kroos in his pre-match press conference before the second leg of the UCL semi-final against Real Madrid.
Praising his compatriot, Tuchel said (via Madrid Xtra):
"Toni [Kroos] has been a key player for many years. You can't praise that highly enough. He handles the pressure effortlessly. He dominates the rhythm of the game. We're prepared for that and hope that we're the grain of sand in his passing machine."
Apart from the praise for Kroos, he also mentioned Los Blancos' efficiency in defense and attack, adding:
"But we're not just playing against Toni, we're playing against the whole team, which is very well drilled. The game is very multi-faceted, so the task is very big.”
Real Madrid are coming into the game off the back of a 3-0 win over Cadiz. Meanwhile, Bayern lost 3-1 to Stuttgart in their last encounter.
"No title party before Bayern" - Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal claims that La Liga celebrations can wait
Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal has claimed that the club took the right call by postponing the celebrations of their La Liga title victory.
Los Blancos won their 36th league title last week after a 3-0 victory over Cadiz. However, they have postponed their celebrations until after the second leg of the Champions League semifinal against Bayern Munich.
In the pre-match press conference, Carvajal claimed that it was the right call, saying (via the BBC):
"Not celebrating was the best thing to do. There's a vital game and there will be time to celebrate at the weekend - that's why we took that decision. We're having a great year. We're very excited for the Champions League. We're two games away from lifting it again. The dressing room knows it - in the streets they're giving us encouragement so we can dream of our 15th [European title]."
After a 2-2 draw in the first leg, Real Madrid will host Bayern Munich in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 8.