Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos blown away by Barcelona superstar’s performance against Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos blown away by Barcelona superstar’s performance against Atletico Madrid Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos has never been shy about speaking his mind in the media, either during his playing days or since retiring. The German midfielder’s best quality has always been his willingness to call a spade a spade, and he has now waxed lyrical about Barcelona star Lamine Yamal’s performance against Atletico. Atletico lost 2-1 to Hansi Flick’s Barça , missing the chance to go top of La Liga . Kroos amazed by Lamine Yamal’s performance Speaking on his podcast Einfach mal Luppen , the German was amazed by what the Spanish teenager produced on the night. “Lamine Yamal’s first 25 minutes were absolutely exceptional,” Kroos remarked, highlighting the teenager’s extraordinary influence during the opening stages. Toni Kroos was full of praise for Lamine Yamal’s performance against Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images) The former Madrid midfielder was particularly impressed by Yamal’s ability to manufacture opportunities without relying on his team-mates to provide favourable situations. “Every dangerous Barcelona attack seemed to come through him,” he explained. “He was creating those advantages himself, beating opponents and producing chances through his own individual brilliance.” Kroos felt that Yamal’s confidence was so overwhelming that the youngster appeared capable of taking complete responsibility for helping Barça stage a comeback. “At one point, you could almost imagine him telling his teammates: ‘Just give me the ball. We’ll turn this game around,'” he added. Rare praise from a Real Madrid legend While there is no doubt that Lamine Yamal is an excellent footballer, it is rare to see someone associated with Real Madrid be so effusive in their praise for a Barcelona star. Even when there is mutual admiration, modern footballers are increasingly media-trained to avoid expressing it publicly. Toni Kroos has always been very candid throughout his career. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) However, Kroos has never been that kind of person, and his praise for the 19-year-old Barcelona winger seems very genuine. Kroos understands better than most what kind of mentality it takes to pull off comebacks in important games. Against Atletico, Barcelona never let their heads drop, and one of the main reasons was the conviction with which Yamal played. The numbers may show only the assist he provided for Fermin’s goal in the second half, but his performance was about much more than that. Real Madrid have increasingly found Lamine to be one of their biggest headaches in El Clasico , and it remains to be seen how the Barça teenager’s evolution pans out.