Against Valladolid, Ceballos posted a pass accuracy (98.2%) not seen in Madrid since the beloved Toni Kroos.
Among the many press conferences Ancelotti has held as Real Madrid’s coach, one of the most memorable was when he publicly acknowledged that he had been “unfair” to Dani Ceballos. This rare moment of humility from a top-tier coach highlighted the challenges Ceballos had faced, often sidelined by the coach.
To be fair, the Italian manager has also had to contend with Ceballos' recurring injuries. But now, with the midfielder in peak physical form and more committed than ever defensively, he’s earning the consistent playing time (and trust) that his style and personality demand. And Ancelotti has no hesitation in giving it to him. One reason is that Ceballos, like in the 3-0 win at Valladolid, is starting to emulate Kroos' numbers...
Ceballos finding form at Madrid
Consistency in performance speaks for itself—both in terms of games played and the quality of those games. In the last 11 matches for Madrid across La Liga and the Champions League, the 28-year-old midfielder has started in 9 of them. And Ceballos has delivered, letting his actions speak louder than words.
A unique opportunity this summer, Ceballos was again positioned at the back of the line, but a confluence of factors (Kroos’ departure, Tchouaméni’s tough year, Camavinga’s inconsistency, and Modric nearing the end of his career) has opened up a gap that Ceballos is now fully taking advantage of. His previous struggles with injuries and form over his five and a half seasons at Madrid weren’t just rumors. He has only logged 7,063 minutes in total, averaging just 41 minutes per game in 170 appearances. In other words, he was often a substitute.
Now, things have changed. Ceballos isn’t just playing more—he’s dominating the field. In Valladolid, he had 118 touches, the most of anyone on the team, and his distribution was reminiscent of Kroos, completing 108 passes with an impressive 98.2% accuracy, 45 of which were in the opponent’s final third. He also assisted Mbappé on the second goal.
This volume and accuracy link him statistically to the beloved German. Since the 2013-14 season, among all Real Madrid midfielders, only Kroos has surpassed 98% accuracy with at least 90 passes attempted. Ceballos matched Kroos’ record in Zorrilla, replicating his teammate’s achievement from the last time he did so—108 passes completed out of 110 attempts against Real Betis in May 2024.
Source/Credit:- D
iario AS
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