Star: CM Luka Modric
Luka Modric continues to surprise the world at the age of 36. I genuinely think he is 22 and just rumored to be 36, there’s no way a player can sprint the way he did, dusting defenders to place the perfect ball for Vinicius Jr. to chase, after 76 minutes of relentless pressing. This was a masterclass. And, after the one against Real Sociedad, it’s two in a row now.
Modric was even better in this one although he couldn’t run a repeat telecast of his wonder goal in the weekend. This time the shot flew just wide. But, this game was a complete performance. He was immense defensively with four tackles and two clearances. And, he was also immense going forward with a valuable assist, a beautiful pass to Vini Jr. in the buildup to the second goal, and three completed dribbles. Timeless!
Star: CBs Eder Militao and David Alaba
Putting one above the other among the two Real Madrid center-backs would be a sin. So, I am not doing that. I am instead, praising their partnership. Both Eder Militao and David Alaba sniffed out any and all danger inside the box for Los Blancos. While Militao outshines Alaba in terms of statistics, the ones who watched the game devotedly know how the Austrian kept things organized at the back.
Militao had a world-class performance with three tackles and three interceptions and I saw a little shadow of Sergio Ramos in him in this game. Alaba, on the other hand, brilliantly covered the far post during Kylian Mbappe’s goal. Alas, Courtois couldn’t do better there. Overall, this was yet another great performance for the pair. The chemistry is immaculate, so much so that the way they celebrated the winning goal was the same too.