Real Madrid’s anemic performance vs. Cadiz magnified the importance of one star

Real Madrid dominated possession and chances against Cadiz on Matchday 18 of LaLiga this past weekend. Yet it would be unreasonable to proclaim that they played well, because they failed to score a goal against the Yellow Submarine. Real drew Cadiz, who are in the relegation battle, 0-0, as they failed to break down a low block, just as they failed to do so earlier this season vs. Osasuna – also at the Santiago Bernabeu.

There were some solid performances in the match, such as those from Toni Kroos and Eder Militao, but Los Blancos looked seriously off in terms of the cogency of their patterns of play. Real were too static in tight spaces, and the forwards were often overwhelmed, trying to find the cracks in a crowded penalty box without much help around them. The right side of the flank was especially static, while the left side was isolated, with Vinicius Junior forced into one-vs-threes.

At the end of the day, it’s hard not to walk away from the match thinking Real Madrid would have found a goal and the three points if Luka Modric had played. The Croatian midfielder missed the match due to COVID-19 and could miss Wednesday’s match to close the year against Athletic Bilbao as well.

Modric has been excellent these past several weeks, shining brightly in several must-win matches against tough competition. Any time he is out of the XI, Real suffer a little bit, but, usually, Fede Valverde’s unique qualities and own status as a top midfielder in LaLiga are sufficient for Los Blancos to win.

The forwards miss Luka Modric most of all

Against these kinds of opponents that sit back, though, not having Modric is a huge loss. He is such an asset against tight, compact defenses due to his dribbling ability and short passing. Modric can find those slipped balls into the box, the channels, or wide. His combination play with the right back and ability to drift wide to help the right winger find pockets of space are very important to Real’s attacks.

As if Modric couldn’t be missed more or valued more by Madridistas, this lackluster draw with Cadiz offered fans another chance to appreciate Modric and admire some of the specific ways in which the team suffers without him.

Madridistas will have to keep hoping for a swift and full recovery for Modric in the new year when Los Blancos take on Getafe on Matchday 19 of LaLiga. As good as Fede is, we can still see how important Modric is to the XI from an offensive standpoint. It is so rare to find a midfielder who can recover balls and defend yet still function as a world-class playmaker in the attacking end. And it seems that Vinicius Junior, especially, benefits from playing with Modric, who has developed a strong connection with the young winger.

So far this season, Modric has five assists for Real Madrid, 1.5 dribbles completed per game, 1.3 key passes per match, and an interception per contest. Those are strong numbers, yet Modric’s impact goes beyond them due to all the tactical, intangible ways he helps the players around him. Things that go beyond the scoresheet but show up in the scoreline of matches like his one against Cadiz. Madridistas will welcome that extra bit of class returning to the lineup in January.