In a team full of household names, not to mention a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, you need to be of special quality to stand-out. Mesut Özil is making it look easy at the Bernabeu.
By Declan Whooley
Now in his third season at Real Madrid since his move to Spain following his outstanding performances at the 2010 World Cup, it is easy to forget that the German international is just 24 years old. And given that he is in theory a few years off his peak, the £12.4 million price tag looks to be a steal.
The midfielder is the central play-maker in Jose Mourinho’s side, with Sami Khedira and Xabi Alonso giving protection in deeper midfield roles, and Ronaldo more often than not the recipient of a great deal of Ozil’s attacking work. Indeed the midfielder has assisted the Portuguese star 25 times in all competitions this season.
Real Madrid’s deadly attacking threats
Last week he teed up Madrid’s main goal-scoring threat for the opener against Galatasaray that set them on their way to a 3-0 first-leg victory and looking goof for a semi-final appearance. It was one of three assists in this year’s competition and 27 in total in the competition, a highly impressive figure at such an early stage of his career. His first season at Madrid saw him finish with 25 assists in total, higher than anyone else in Europe while also finishing top of the Champions League assists table with seven as he showed no evidence of struggling to adapt to his new surroundings.
While Mourinho recognises the importance of Özil to his side, he is reluctant to let the Turkish born midfielder complete 90 minutes of action, quite often getting the curly finger regardless of the performance on the day. At that stage his work is usually complete. And he is adding goals to his game this season, with 12 in total, including this free-kick against Borussia Dortmund in the group stages.
After admitting to a dip in form at the start of the season, Özil has recaptured his best form at precisely the right time from a Madrid perspective. The league may be out of their reach, but aspirations of lifting silverware in Wembley this season are looking more and more likely if current European form is maintained.
And in Mesut Özil, Real Madrid have the man that could have the final say in whether The Special One’s final season in Spain is to end with the most glorious outcome.
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