Real Madrid: Luka Modric overshadows Lionel Messi and Argentina in win
By Ben Sundock
The ‘LM10’ everyone will be talking about after Croatia’s 3-0 win over Argentina will not be FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, but rather Real Madrid‘s Luka Modric. Here’s why.
Luka dribbled through the would-be challengers in the Argentine midfield and willed this Croatian side to an emphatic win over one of the early favorite’s to win the tournament.
While Lionel Messi looked anxious and stressed the entire match, Modric was fluid working alongside Ivan Rakitic. Building up the attack and even bagging a wonderful goal in the final 10 minutes of the match to put his side firmly in front by two, the LM10 everyone will be and should be talking about is Luka and not Lionel.
With 62 touches in the match and completing 86 percent of his passes, as he does for his club, Luka was the engine that willed his side to the knockout stage with back-to-back shutout wins.
As we saw in the first two matches, Isco and Modric showed to the world that they are two of the best midfielders with incredible skill moves and the ability to drive a team toward goal is uncanny. Luka stayed in the same area of the pitch nearly the entire match, but managed to link the lines together seamlessly.
Comparing Messi and Modric after this match and through the first two matches of the group stage in the 2018 World Cup is wrong in every sense of the word.
Luka has scored twice and his team has won twice without allowing a goal. Messi, on the other hand, has not scored or assisted on a goal and his team now must win their final match against Nigeria to even have a chance of getting through to the knockout round.
With a plus-five goal differential through two matches, beating down both Nigeria and now Argentina, this Croatian side captained by Luka has made a statement for themselves and have proven that they are legitimate contenders in this tournament.
Croatia has done so well in fact, they have already topped Group C and can rest the majority of their starters in the final group match as they can rise nor fall if they win or lose against Iceland.
To add on to the fantastic play, Mateo Kovacic came on in the second half and managed an assist on the third in final goal squaring the ball to Rakitic inside the box. It was a selfless play and a smart one as Ivan scored easily.
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As Messi skulked off the pitch without shaking anyone’s hand, the Croats celebrated in front of their fans as they managed to make it to the final 16 of the World Cup for the first time in 20 years.
Congrats to them and Luka for an incredibly dominant showing against a lackluster Argentina side led by Messi.
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