Spanish giants Real Madrid dispatched a not-so-friendly reminder to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool that revenge was not on the menu at Anfield last night after the La Liga and Champions League holders overturned an early two-goal deficit to return to Spain with a 5-2 win under their belt.
On a night where Merseyside was rocking in the hopes that the vaunted ground would once again play its part on a European night to boost the Reds to a result in front of the Kop while putting to bed the club’s 1-0 loss against Madrid in the 2021-22 Champions League final, Carlo Ancelotti’s men had other ideas despite their own domestic struggles in La Liga that has them trailing bitter rivals Barcelona by a considerable eight-point gap.
The usual suspects were up front and center on the scoresheet thanks to braces from Karim Benzema and Vinícius Júnior as well as a goal from Éder Militão just after halftime to give Real their first lead of the night at 3-2; one they would never look back from.
Anfield applauded 37-year-old Luka Modrić as he was subbed off 🍷
Respect. pic.twitter.com/Q8dzm2mWmn
— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 21, 2023
But despite Benzema and Viní grabbing much of the headlines, another masterfully-crafted performance in the heart of midfield by none other than Luka Modrić offered a base of operations for Madrid to mercilessly assault Liverpool once Ancelotti’s troops found their footing away from home.
And according to Brazilian international starlet and Madrid colleague Rodrygo, Modrić’s father-figure presence in the team is just one aspect of what makes the Croatian legend the best player he has ever played with after quotes dating back to November 2022 have bubbled to the surface after Modrić’s display during a return to England.
When speaking with the highly popular The Players Tribute, Rodrygo was adamant about the influence that Modrić commands in the team and how it taps into a mentality that many Brazilian players have long been familiar with, which helped the youngster adapt to life in the Spanish capital while kicking-on to become vital for Ancelotti’s side.
“We keep joking that he’s old. Man, he’s the best I’ve played with. Casemiro said that my dad was soon turning 36. Luka was like “Really? Then you have to respect me, ‘cause I could have been your father.”’
“That was it. Luka began calling me hijo. Sometimes I call him padre. Like my actual dad, he can be a pain in the ass. He is on us, all the tie. But that’s what it’s like at Madrid. You have to work. You never stop. It’s like we say in Brazil; you have to kill a lion every day.”
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