Real Madrid’s midfield has looked blunt this season. The change in formation, for starters, has minimised Jude Bellingham’s influence in attack and Toni Kroos’ departure, meanwhile, has destabilised the structure.
The only player who has managed to bridge that gap for Los Blancos on the field, unsurprisingly, is the ever-young Luka Modric who is still going strong for the men in white.
At this early stage in the season, the veteran has already made 12 appearances for the team and averages over 50 minutes per game in La Liga. He has two assists in that duration and has been a game-changer for Carlo Ancelotti.
Complete confidence
As revealed in a recent report on MARCA, Modric has rewritten his situation at the club and is once again a fundamental player for Ancelotti.
Despite the manager’s initial plan being to slowly phase him out, he is back as one of the team’s most vital parts.
The manager sees him as a unique player in the squad and one who has all the right answers when the team is under pressure on the field. He has thus been turning to the Croatian whenever matters get complicated.
This past weekend, it was Modric once more who found Vinicius Jr. with a sensational pass to help Real Madrid take three points at a time when Celta Vigo seemed to be creating the better opportunities.
In the process, he even registered his 250th win with Real Madrid in La Liga and added another feather to his already stacked hat.
While Real Madrid have continually evolved over the years, the midfield maestro has seamlessly adapted to every change and embraced it with renewed passion.
This season, his primary role on the field is to help unlock defences with his creativity and vision using his in-game intelligence and is serving it to perfection, even from the bench.
The fact that Ancelotti has opted to start Modric in midfield tonight against Borussia Dortmund underlines the trust he has in the veteran club captain.