The View From The Press Seats: On Coentrao, Khedira And Ronaldo

European football can sometimes be all about hard work. Players like Coentrao and Khedira might go unnoticed for some analysts who focus on Cristiano Ronaldo's hattrick or Özil's stylish plays, but both Coentrao and Panzer Khedira are playing at their finest level right now.

Coentrao has stood up to the occasion in this past month, just when Marcelo should be trying to get back in the team's rotation. Marcelo is arguably a better player, that's for sure, but Coentrao's defensive transition is much better, and that's something Real Madrid needs. The Portuguese defender is also starting to feel more comfortable on the offensive part of the game, and he could be seen in Getafe's box many times throughout the game. He even had a very good scoring chance saved by Moyà few minutes before Sergio Ramos' first goal.

Sami Khedira was Real Madrid's second underdog player. The German midfielder joined the game for Raúl Albiol at halftime and Real Madrid soon started its engines. His physical presence served Modric well, but he also distributed the ball well and made himself visible for the team's defenders to get the ball to dangerous positions. Right now, Sami Khedira is arguably Real Madrid's second most irreplaceable player. That might sound crazy for some fans when the likes of Sergio Ramos, Özil, Benzema, Pepe or Casillas play for this team, but this version of Khedira is the key for the team's midfield, not Xabi Alonso.

Cristiano Ronaldo's performance is something that nobody missed, but how he helps his team offensively is another completely different thing. This is his very best season with the club, there's no question about that. Ronaldo is helping the offensive rhythm of the team a lot more and he's always demanding the ball to open up some spaces instead of just going to score his goals. It should amaze everybody how rarely he gets caught offside with the pace he has. He's a true legend.