Nearly two years have passed, but the effects of Toni Kroos’s retirement are still being felt at the Santiago Bernabéu.

After losing a key figure in midfield, the club chose not to reinforce the position, instead placing its trust in the players already in the squad.

The result has been a worrying lack of creativity that has hurt the team. But beware—the German’s successor may already be at home.

Thiago Pitarch has taken a major step forward as a professional with the arrival of Álvaro Arbeloa on the Real Madrid bench, a coach who already knew him from his time with the reserves.

His style of play is not an exact replica of Toni Kroos’s, but the youngster has the courage to play out with composure and an energy that provides an extra edge in the modern game.

Against Manchester City (first leg), he became Real Madrid’s youngest Spanish player to start a Champions League game at 18 years and 220 days.

The La Fábrica graduate’s performance drew praise from legends such as Henry: “What a game! He was everywhere.”

It’s easy to forget that Pitarch is still a second-year high school student. To play the match, he even had to skip classes.

Thiago has now strung together five consecutive starts ahead of more experienced players—good luck trying to take him out of the lineup now.

Arbeloa was full of praise for his player: “He’s almost a kid, but on the pitch he bites… He’s Real Madrid material,” the coach said.