FOOTBALL

Why Luka Modric is so Important for Real Madrid & how they can replace him

Published

2 years ago

February 27, 2022

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Luka Modric has had a glorious 10-year spell at Real Madrid and continues to dictate the flow of Los Blancos midfield at the age of 36.

The veteran has won two La Liga and four Champions League titles during his stay at the Spanish capital and has cemented his legacy as one of the best players in the club’s history and one of the finest midfielders ever to have played the game.

Contract ends soon

But all good stories come to an end eventually.

At the end of this season, the Croatian’s contract will expire, and he will move on to the next chapter of his career.

Even though Modric approaches his swan song at Real Madrid, he is still vital to their title aspirations.

Luca Modric was not an instant hit at the Bernabeu after arriving on a £30 million fee from Tottenham Hotspur.

He took his time to settle in, but then Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho had immense faith in his abilities and backed him to become a legend in Madrid. Modric proved him right within the next few years.

Modric formed one of the most fearsome midfield trios of all time, playing alongside Casemiro and Tony Kroos.

He is the most senior player of the bunch. Yet, he continues to match the contributions of his midfield peers with excellence.

What makes Luca Modric so unique in midfield?

He is an elite progressor of the ball.

The 36-year-old can escape from tight spaces with his excellent dribbling qualities.

You will see him covering every blade of the grass even today.

Since signing his last extension in 2021, he was unavailable for selection in only four matches, which points to his unbelievable fitness level despite his age.

Some stats

Let’s bring up some stats to show how good Luca Modric has been for Madrid recently.

Over the last 12 months, he has attempted 77.50 passes per 90 minutes, putting him in the 95th percentile across the top five European Leagues.

88.5% of those passes found the intended target.

Modric ranks on the 94th percentile in terms of progressive passes.

For progressive carries, he belongs to the 93rd percentile.

As the numbers suggest, Modric is doing more than pulling his weight.

According to reports, Madrid will offer him a one-year extension, but they have to start planning for a future without the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner since he is not getting any younger.

Possible replacements for Modric

In-house options Fede Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga can be thought as long term Modric replacements.

Camavinga’s eagerness to receive the ball is incredibly outstanding.

He barely refrains from sprinting towards the ball to receive it and retain possession for his team.

He also drops deep to generate passing lanes

Fede Valverde is a workhorse like Modric and is keen to cover large patches of the pitch.

The 23-year-old excels at winning the ball back, a trait Real Madrid scouts would love to have in their future football maestro.

Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella and Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni are two high-profile transfer market options, who have a similar set of skills to Modric.

None of them would come cheap, but that didn’t made Real Madrid to back off in too many occasions, especially if they are convinced they are going for the perfect player for their project.

FOOTBALL

WATCH: Georgina Rodriguez makes huge claim on Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement in Football

Published

2 months ago

March 3, 2024

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Georgina Rodriguez made a huge claim on the future of her husband and star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, in Football. In a brief interaction with a host recently, Rodriguez was asked about the time left for Cristiano to make an impact at the highest level. Georgina looked honest in her approach to the question of the host and claimed something the fans would not love to hear.

Georgina claimed that the Portugal star has maybe one year more from him at the highest level. She felt that Ronaldo might play two more years before retiring and not more than that. She was however not sure if he would play for just one or two years and added that the Al Nassr star could also play more than that.

Watch the video of Georgina Rodriguez here –

🚨🎙️| Georgina Rodriguez on Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at Paris Fashion Week yesterday:

“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know.”

(via @ArobaseGiovanny)pic.twitter.com/4dxw2j5DuC

— Pubity Sport (@pubitysport) March 3, 2024

“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know,” said Rodriguez in the little chat she had with the host. The video has gone viral on X and the fans have started sharing it on different platforms. Some of the fans feel that Georgina might be right, while others feel that she could be wrong, given the fitness and longevity of the star player.

Legacy of Cristiano Ronaldo

On the 5th of February, Ronaldo celebrated his 39th birthday. He is currently one of the oldest players in the world. In the past, players at this age would have retired way back. But the fitness and consistency of Ronaldo make him play the sport as long as he wishes. In his career so far, Ronaldo has won many major leagues for Portugal and league teams like Real Madrid, Al Nassr, and Manchester United.

With United, Portugal won some major leagues like the FA Cup and the Champions League. With Real Madrid, the 39-year-old won the leagues like the UCL, Copa Del Rey and La Liga. He won it three consecutive times for Real Madrid. For Portugal, Cristiano had a huge contribution to Portugal. He has the most number of appearances and goals for an international team and won the Euro 2016 with Portugal.

FOOTBALL

Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham slapped with Red Card as he argued with referee

Published

2 months ago

March 3, 2024

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Jude Bellingham shown Red Card (Image Credit: Twitter)

England and Real Madrid player Jude Bellingham was slapped with a Red Card during the La Liga game against Valencia. In the game, the home team, Valencia was leading by 2-0 after 30 minutes before Madrid scored in the injury time of the first half. Vinicius Junior opened the scoring for Madrid while Hugo Duro (27′) and Roman Yaremchuk (30′) scored a goal each.

In the 76th minute, Junior scored an equalizer to keep the team in the game. However, in the injury time of the second half, Bellingham was given a red card as he argued with the referee against calling it a full-time before he could score. In reply, the match official decided to slap the England international with a Red Card. The team coach Carlo Ancelotti wasn’t happy with the verdict as the Three Lions player was making a pass at the time.

Jude Bellingham verbally abusing officials and other footballers at the slightest provocation needs to be talked about more. It’s embarrassing he gets applauded by Real Madrid Fans.

Mason Greenwood should’ve allowed La Liga to deal with this simp. pic.twitter.com/ixYSw6YxaC

— Herman Facundo© (@hermanfacundo_7) March 3, 2024

“I think what’s just happened is unprecedented. It’s never happened to me,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“We had possession of the ball and the match should have been finished when Valencia had the ball.

“What bothers us is the red card for Bellingham because he didn’t say anything insulting. He was frustrated of course,” said Ancelotti, adding that Bellingham had used a common English swearword when telling the referee it was a goal.

We are annoyed with Jude Bellingham’s Red Card: Carlo Ancelotti

“We were annoyed with Bellingham’s red card. He didn’t say any insults. He said in English ‘it’s a f—ing goal,’ but he was just saying what we were all thinking … [The referee] allowed play to continue. I think he made a mistake.”

“[Bellingham] was clear in what he said,” Ancelotti added. “He was quite vehement [in his reaction] but that’s normal, after what happened. It wasn’t an insult, not at all.”

FOOTBALL

PL 2023-24: MCFC vs MUFC Dream11 Prediction, Playing XI, Fantasy League Today’s Captain, Vice-Captain, and more for Manchester derby

Published

2 months ago

March 2, 2024

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Super Sunday is set to witness the Manchester Derby in the Premier League 2023-24. The match between Manchester City (MCFC) and Manchester United (MUFC) is set to take place in Etihad Stadium, the home ground of Manchester City. The two teams have had a contrasting journey in the league till now. The fortunes of City changed ever since Pep Guardiola took over the club as the manager.

While the home side are placed in the second position in the points table currently, United are in the sixth place in the points table. In their previous encounter, City hammered Luton Town by 6-2 in the FA Cup. United have shown massive improvements in the last few weeks after not having a good start to their campaign. United were involved in a thrilling game where they beat Nottingham Forrest by 1-0 in their last game.

Both teams feature some of the best players in the world. The likes of Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland, Marcus Rashford, Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and others would be taking part in the match. Manchester City will start the match as the favourites, given their record in the ongoing league so far and the match taking place in their home. United with their improved record can challenge the home side.

MCFC vs MUFC – Match Details

Match – Manchester City (MCFC) vs Manchester United (MUFC), Premier League 2023-24

Venue – Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Date and Time – 3^rd March 2024, 21:00 IST

Live Coverage – Star Sports Network and Disney plus Hot Star

MCFC vs MUFC – Head-to-Head

Both the teams from Manchester have a rich history in the sport. they have been up against each other in 191 instances. In as many games, Manchester United have been historically the better side with 78 wins to their name. City have managed to win 60 wins, as 53 games ended in a draw. In the last five games between the two sides in the Premier League, City have won four of the five games.