Real Madrid dropped points this weekend, as they managed a 1-1 draw against Real Betis away from home. In a vacuum, this is not a bad result. In fact, Carlo Ancelotti's side were somewhat lucky to return home with a point on the day. But it does give a chance to Girona to take a lead at the top of the table when they play their game in hand. On the other hand, FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will be looking to close the gap with Los Blancos.
One of the talking points coming out of the game was the reaction of Luka Modric at being substituted. The Croatian icon did not seem to be happy with the decision.
Modric was handed a start against Real Betis, something that has been a rarity this season. With the game tied at 1-1, Ancelotti decided to bring him off for Dani Ceballos.
The Real Madrid manager was asked about the matter after the game. As tweeted out by Madrid Xtra, Ancelotti said:
"Luka Modrić? I don't know what happened."
Real Madrid boss comments on Modric's angry reaction
Not being a key part of the starting XI is something that Modric is not used to. He has been one of the faces of Real Madrid for years but has seen his playing time drastically decrease this season.
One also has to take into consideration the fact that he signed a one-year contract extension to remain at Real Madrid. It is believed that he had lucrative offers from elsewhere but chose to keep playing in the Royal White jersey.
At the same time, it is easy to see things from Ancelotti's perspective as well. Modric is 38 years of age. Sooner or later, his time as a first-team starter was bound to come to an end. On the other hand, Real Madrid have a talented group of young midfielders right now in Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde.