Real Madrid: The 3 most under-appreciated players from 2019-2020

CM Luka Modric

In 2018, Luka Modric won the Ballon d’Or. In 2019, fans of European football began to wonder if the Croatian legend’s best days were behind him. And in 2020, Modric has shown that he remains one of the world’s best center midfielders, producing world-class performances on a weekly basis.

You’d think a 34-year-old center midfielder who primarily plays a ball-carrying role and has to work hard on defense would tire greatly in the heat with two games played every week. But Modric shows that age is just a meaningless statistic for some special players, as he produced his absolute best performances of the season to close the 2019-2020 La Liga campaign.

Modric played a crucial role in Real Madrid sealing the title, but because he doesn’t pile up statistics, you won’t see him in Teams of the Season. And I’m not arguing that he should be in them, like I am with Raphael Varane.

But I am saying that Modric is one of those players who gets overlooked now. He’s become a veteran glue guy, squaring up for others and being an engine who plays a lot of defense. I mean, that’s who Modric has always been, but he’s playing an even more subdued role in midfield to help the younger guys shine.

If you want to watch a masterclass, go watch what Modric did to Athletic Bilbao at San Mames. Or what he did to Alaves, Granada, and Villarreal. The man had four straight top-class displays to finsih the title-winning campaign.