Real Madrid great Bodo Illgner has hailed the influence of Toni Kroos.

Illgner has lavished praise on Toni Kroos for his performance in Los Blancos' Champions League quarter-final victory over Liverpool on Tuesday night.

Kroos was the catalyst in Real Madrid's first-leg win with a stunning display in central midfield, and the former shot-stopper reserved special praise for his compatriot.

"[Kroos] does everything so easily and it seems that he does so without effort," Illgner told Radio MARCA.

"It often seems like he doesn't sweat.

"He has a lot of quality and is very comfortable with the ball.

"He is spectacular with long balls, on corners."

Illgner also commended the performance of Vinicius Junior, who he believes has a lot of potential.

"[Vinicius] is a boy with lots of talent," he said.

"It is true that at Real Madrid the only thing that counts is if you are good or not, age does not matter, but sometimes you have to have patience with young players."