Kroos: “My ideal match would be 90% possession and a 1-0 win”

Ahead of Real Madrid Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Barcelona, Toni Kroos appeared in the pre-match press conference and discussed a range of topics. First, though, he spoke about the match itself and about how the 17-point gap between the teams in the league table means nothing for this tournament.

He said: “We may be doing better than Barcelona in LaLiga, but there is never a favourite in a Clásico. It’s like a final and anything can happen. They have a lot of quality too. Obviously, we want to win. We want to win every competition we’re in, no matter which competition it is and where it is. We want to win tomorrow and then win this tournament.”

Asked if and how he thinks Barcelona have improved under Xavi, Kroos admitted he hasn’t watched many Barça games in recent weeks. He explained: “I haven’t seen many of their matches since then, as we’ve been busy ourselves with our matches and I have other things to do. They still have quality and it’s hard to prepare for the game because we don’t quite know who will play for them, since they have a few injury doubts for this one.”

Discussing his own team’s improvement, Kroos said he is happy with the way Real Madrid are winning in recent weeks. He said: “In general, we have improved in the last few months. At the start of the season we won a lot without always playing well, but now I’ve noticed improvement in the performances too. We need to keep this up.”

The German did, though, concede that he is happy to win no matter how, even if his preference is always to have possession. On that, he stated: “I always prefer to have the ball, but a good team is one that can adapt. Sometime we win with more possession and sometimes with less. For me, the best kind of match would be to have 90 percent possession and win 1-0, but the important thing is to adapt.”

Kroos on his difficult start to 2021/22

Spooling back, Kroos reflected on the physical complications he had in the summer. He said: “The start to the season was difficult as I had never started a season with an injury. I had to stop and miss some matches, but I think I used that time well to get prepared and to be perfect for when I could return. I wouldn’t say this is my best moment, as I’ve had other good moments in my career, but I’m in good form and enjoying my football.”

Kroos on Alaba’s adaptation

Asked for his thoughts on David Alaba’s adaptation to LaLiga Santander and how he has changed from the player Kroos knew at Bayern Munich, the midfielder said: “Yes, he has changed since I knew him at Bayern, when he usually played as a full-back. Since then, he has adapted very well to playing as a centre-back, as he is doing here. He has adapted very well here.”