Ranking Real Madrid's Top 5 Players for October

The month of October has been a steady one for Real Madrid without being spectacular, as Rafa Benitez's men have taken two wins and two draws from their four games thus far. 

A 1-1 stalemate with Atletico in the Madrid derby kicked off October for Los Blancos, who have since cruised past Levante, battled to a scoreless draw with Paris Saint-Germain and emerged unscathed from a difficult trip to Galicia with a victory over Celta Vigo. 

Consequently, Real Madrid remain undefeated this season and currently sit at the top of the league table, and they also lead PSG in the race for top spot in Group A of this season's Champions League. 

So, with just one game left to play for the month, we've ranked Real Madrid's top five players for October across the following slides. 

5. Toni Kroos

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There's a feeling Toni Kroos has been let off the leash so far this season for . 

Whereas last term he played as Carlo Ancelotti's deepest midfielder, a sort of makeshift defensive option, the German is now enjoying more freedom and attacking duties under Rafa Benitez in 2015-16. 

With Casemiro behind him for added protection, Kroos is playing more the type of role he'd fulfilled prior to his switch to the Santiago Bernabeu, dictating tempo from the middle and pushing forward to join in attacks. 

While he was relatively quiet against Atletico, the former Bayern Munich star was excellent against Levante—his winning of the ball before assisting Cristiano Ronaldo's goal was indicative of his more advanced positioning—was composed and incisive against Paris Saint-Germain, and he played a leading role in Real Madrid's early dominance against Celta Vigo that setup a 3-1 win. 

Additionally, Kroos has played every minute of every game in October, but he looks far fresher than he did last season thanks to the reduction of his defensive responsibilities. 

4. Cristiano Ronaldo

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October hasn't exactly been a stellar month for Cristiano Ronaldo, and he's been curiously quiet for large stretches in a number of games. However, several moments of brilliance have been enough to secure some important points for Real Madrid. 

Against Levante, his assist for Marcelo's opener was both delicate and delightful, after which he produced a trademark thump from 20 yards to break Real Madrid's all-time goalscoring record. 

After that, the 2014 Ballon d'Or winner came the closest of any player to break the deadlock between Madrid and PSG in Paris, while his opening goal against Celta Vigo at Balaidos proved extremely important as Rafa Benitez's side faded after a bright half an hour. 

Next up for Ronaldo: Las Palmas. 

3. Casemiro

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Most viewers, particularly the neutrals, were rather underwhelmed when Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain played out a very cagey scoreless draw in Paris. But Casemiro didn't share the sentiment. 

"I think that today's might have been our best game of the season," the Brazilian said of his team's showing at Parc des Princes. Though such an assertion was debatable, Casemiro's comment gave a brilliant insight into how he sees the game. 

Rugged, disciplined and dependable, the 23-year-old clearly takes immense pride in his defensive work in midfield, placing a high priority on the game's grittier aspects. Against Atletico, he was magnificent in that respect, and he backed it up with another stellar performance away from home against PSG. 

"We put in a serious team performance and that's the way to win titles," he added after the latter. 

Amen to that. 

2. Marcelo

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Has Marcelo ever been better than this? This excellent on both sides of the ball?

If so, it's hard to remember when.

After a strong season in 2014-15, the Brazilian has gone to another level again this term. In attack, he's been absolutely dynamic along the left flank, both creating and scoring goals, while in defence, he's been more attentive than ever. 

According to WhoScored.com, Marcelo leads Real Madrid this season in total passes, crosses and dribbles, is level with Cristiano Ronaldo for key passes (chances created) and has also reached personal four-season highs in tackles, interceptions and clearances. 

In October, he was brilliant against Levante and Celta Vigo, and he was part of an impressive defensive performance against PSG. 

1. Keylor Navas

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A penalty save against Atletico. A lightning, diving stop against Levante. A catalogue of said stops against Celta Vigo. 

"He's made three or four saves," said Nolito after that catalogue, "and I have no idea how."

A couple of days later, when Nolito was asked in an interview on El Larguero (h/t AS) about his stunning goal that found its way past Navas, he joked: "I watched it again on the telly. Just as well it went where it did, any lower and he stops that too, the pr--k."

According to Marca, Navas' team-mates are currently calling him "Mr Save."

It's not brilliant, but it's damn well accurate.