Real Madrid 3 – 0 Alavés: Three Takeaways From the La Liga Match

The Beginning of the End for Luka Modrić?

If Isco’s performance silenced the doubters, Modrić’s might have stirred them.

Perhaps it is hyperbolic to suggest that  one poor performance spells the beginning of the end for Modric. It is also probably unfair to judge Modrić against the devastatingly high standards that he has set for himself over the years. These caveats aside, the little Croatian wizard was simply not at his magical best today.

Even the mere suggestion that Luka Modrić might be starting to show signs of decline brings me pain. Modrić is my personal favorite player in Madrid’s squad right now, and I think he has long been one of, if not the best midfielder in the world.

But this season, the 31 year old has been showing small glimpses of his age catching up to him. Alavés put these small cracks in his armor on full display.

A quick comparison of the WhoScored heat maps between the three midfielders, Kroos, Isco, and Modrić (in the tweet below) shows that Modrić was nowhere near as influential as the other two midfielders.

Additionally, Modrić’s passing accuracy was only 85%, not necessarily poor, but not in his usual range of mid-90’s. For comparison, Kroos and Isco completed 92.1% and 92.9%, respectively. He also only enjoyed 51 touches of the ball, compared to 97 for Kroos and 101 for Isco.

Modrić was subbed off for Mateo Kovačić, the Croatian wonderkid considered by many to be the long-term heir to Modrić’s throne. Only time will tell if this performance was a mere blip, or the start of a worrying trend.

Only time will tell if Modric’s performance was a mere blip, or the start of a worrying trend.

Modrić could very well be back to his glittering best by the next match. However, if Modrić continues to turn in performances like this, it will be more and more difficult for Zidane to justify starting him over the likes of Isco and Kovačić.