"Has put on a clinic this game", "Enjoy him whilst you can" - Real Madrid fans salute star for his showing in 3-0 Girona win
Real Madrid fans took to X to heap praise on their veteran midfielder Luka Modric for this performance in the match against Girona in LaLiga at the Estadi Montilivi on Saturday, December 7. The Croatian hit the ball out of the park as Los Blancos steamrolled Blanquivermells to a 3-0 victory.
Carlo Ancelotti's men entered the clash eager to get the three points in order to reduce the gap between themselves and Barcelona in the title race. Whilst they entered the match as top dogs, it was Girona who enjoyed more possession in the early minutes of the game.
Midway through the first half, Real Madrid seemed to find their rhythm and finally found a breakthrough in the 36th minute. Jude Bellingham opened the scoring for the Whites as he pounced on an awful clearance by Girona defender Arnau Martinez and smashed home through the legs of goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.
Having taken a slender lead into the break, Los Blancos started the second half in a more determined manner and doubled their advantage in the 55th minute. Bellingham was the architect this time as he gave Arda Guler a pass on goal, and the latter held off his marker to steer home his first of the campaign.
Kylian Mbappe added a third in the 62nd minute after Modric found him from a tight angle. There were no more goals from either side in the remaining minutes as Real Madrid left the Estadi Montilivi with all three points.
While Jude Bellingham won the man of the match award, Luka Modric also stood out for the Whites. The 39-year-old created the highest number of big chances (2), registered the most key passes (4) and had the most accurate long balls (8). He also had the most touches (121), and recorded the most accurate passes (103). The Croatian was the second-highest ranked player among both teams with a rating of 8.5 as per Sofascore.
Here is how fans reacted to his stellar performance.
''Luka Modric has put on a clinic this game hard to believe he’s 39 years old,'' one fan wrote.
Another tweeted:
''39 year old Luka Modric bossing the pitch, making assists, winning duels and controlling the game. Enjoy Luka Modric whilst you can.''
''Bro you gotta give Modric some flowers, insane performance," @ayeunoo wrote.
''Involved in all 3 goals, trivela assist for the third. Real Madrid will surely miss Luka Modric when he retires,'' @AikayOfUyo chimed in.
''GIVE MODRIC THAT MOTM NOW," @revejhs wrote.
''Luka Modric is 39 and still going insane," @sterlasun said.
Interestingly, some fans had called for the retirement of Luka Modric after the 2-1 defeat to Athletic Bilbao in LaLiga on December 4.
Carlo Ancelotti on Real Madrid’s performance after 3-0 victory against Girona
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti gave his assessment of his side’s performance after the 3-0 victory at the Estadi Montilivi. The Italian manager admitted that Girona put his side under significant pressure in the early stages of the match, making it challenging for his team to settle.
He added that Bellingham’s goal was the turning point in the match as it gave the team confidence to play with more purpose and creativity. He told the press (as per the club’s official website):
"We had to dig deep at the start because they pressed hard. We did a good job offensively and then we managed the advantage well. After Bellingham's goal the team had more clarity and some good ideas. We played very well in the second half. We have to hang in there because of the injuries and little by little we are going to get better."
Real Madrid will next be in action against Atalanta in the Champions League on Tuesday, December 10.