What did Luka Modric tell Dani Carvajal? Revealing Real Madrid superstar’s rallying cry during iconic PSG comeback
A new Apple TV+ series titled “Real Madrid: Hasta el final” sheds light on Los Blancos’ heroic UEFA Champions League campaign in the 2021-22 season. One clip showed Luka Modric telling Dani Carvajal an epic return leg in Madrid awaited after the first leg loss to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Real Madrid enjoyed arguably the best Champions League campaign last season. They beat PSG, Chelsea and Manchester City in the knockouts before getting the better of Liverpool in the final.
Their knockout canpaign began with a stunning 3-2 comeback win over French juggernauts PSG in the Round of 16. They endured a 1-0 defeat in the first leg at the Parc des Princes. In the return leg, they were 1-0 down (2-0 aggregate) at half-time. Captain Karim Benzema emerged as Real Madrid’s messiah, scoring a hat-trick to fire his team into the quarterfinals.
In the documentary, Modric talked about his belief in Madrid’s ability to bounce back. He recalled how he told Carvajal that Los Merengues would turn it around in the second leg. The 37-year-old said in the documentary:
“There was a lot of criticism and such, and we knew that we had to change. But despite not playing well and that they were better, when I left the field I gave Carvajal a message that turned out to be true.”
Modric said:
“We are going to crush them (PSG) in the return leg (in Madrid).”
PSG dominated three of the four halves of the tie, but Los Blancos’ never-say-die attitude meant they had the last laugh.
Karim Benzema, who scored another hat-trick in the quarterfinal first leg against Chelsea, ended the 2021-22 Champions League campaign with 15 goals. It marked his best-campaign in the prestigious cup competition.
Real Madrid superstar Toni Kroos could leave if club sign Jude Bellingham - Reports
According to Spanish outlet Diario AS, Real Madrid are interested in signing Liverpool target Jude Bellingham in the summer. The outlet also believes that the transfer could have a massive impact on the future of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
It has been reported that Croatian ace Modric does not have a problem with Bellingham’s arrival. He would be open to the idea of remaining for another season to help the Borussia Dortmund man acclimatise. Kroos, though, reportedly does not want more competition in midfield.
Real Madrid already have Dani Ceballos, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga in midfield alongside Modric and Kroos. The German wishes to continue as an integral part of midfield, which could be jeopardised by Bellingham’s arrival.
Both Kroos and Modric's contracts run out in June. The pair have been in exceptional form this season, featuring in many key games.
While Kroos has scored twice and claimed five assists in 35 games, Modric has scored six times and provided five assists in 36 outings across competitions.