Konrad Laimer is currently one of the big winners at FC Bayern. In the 2-0 away win against Atlético Madrid, the Austrian impressed not only with his goal that sealed the victory but also with an outstanding defensive performance. Now the 29-year-old is receiving special praise from Toni Kroos. The former Real Madrid star sees Laimer as the kind of player whose importance is often underestimated.

On his podcast “Einfach mal Luppen,” Kroos spoke at length about the qualities of the Bayern all-rounder. The 2014 World Cup champion made it clear that players like Laimer hold a much higher status within a team than public perception might suggest.

Particularly noteworthy: Kroos drew a comparison to his former Real teammate Dani Carvajal. The Spanish right back was considered an indispensable part of Los Blancos for many years, even though other stars were often in the spotlight more.

Kroos compares Laimer to Real legend Carvajal

“We both know that players like that are incredibly highly valued within a team,” Kroos explained on his podcast.

From the outside, professionals like Laimer often don’t receive the recognition they actually deserve based on their performances. “From the outside, they sometimes don’t get the credit, but within the team, even the star players know how important these players are,” the 36-year-old emphasized.

As an example, Kroos cited his former teammate Dani Carvajal, who played a key role at Real Madrid for years.

Carvajal brought an “incredible mentality and an incredible work ethic” to the table, without always being the most flashy player on the field.

Kroos recognizes exactly these qualities in Laimer as well.

The former midfielder strongly rejected the notion that a player like that could be easily replaced.

“You can’t just replace Laimer.”

“People always think you can just replace Laimer with any other player who does the same job. But no, probably not,” Kroos clarified.

The Austrian’s importance cannot be measured solely by goals, assists, or running stats.

Rather, it’s the small, often invisible actions that are crucial to the success of a top-tier team.

Kroos pointed to the many extra meters Laimer covers to nip potentially dangerous situations in the bud. “Maybe Upamecano is the one who wins the ball, but Laimer would certainly have covered the back again,” explained the former Bayern pro.

According to Kroos, just how valuable these qualities are was particularly evident in the closing stages of the match against Atlético Madrid. Around the 70-minute mark, Atlético coach Diego Simeone brought on Ademola Lookman, a fresh attacking player who was meant to pose major challenges for Laimer on his right side of defense.

But even after numerous intense running duels, the Austrian didn’t let himself get flustered. “Then Lookman came on on his side after 70 minutes. A good player, fresh for one-on-one duels, while the other had already been running for 70 minutes,” Kroos described.

Despite this supposed advantage, the Atlético star was barely able to make any headway against Laimer. “Lookman went one-on-one against him three or four more times, and he defended everything cleanly,” Kroos praised.

For the former national team player, these are precisely the plays that are often overlooked when evaluating a player. “These are the plays that often get lost in the analysis,” he noted.

For Laimer, the praise is a special recognition. After all, from his successful time at Real Madrid, Kroos knows the importance of those players who take on key roles behind the scenes.

At FC Bayern, the Austrian has long since become an indispensable part of the team. His performance against Atlético was yet another impressive example of this.

This article was translated into English by AI. You can read the original version here https://fcbinside.de/2026/11/05/nicht-zu-ersetzen-kroos-vergleicht-laimer-mit-real-legende/.