Player Focus: Majestic Modric Essential in Zidane's Real Madrid Setup

When the famous Champions League music rung out ahead of PSG’s welcome of Chelsea and Benfica’s win over Zenit St. Petersburg, it was a welcome reminder that the top club competition in Europe is indeed back. With European football gracing our screens for the next two weeks, the best players on the continent will be showcasing their talents for fans across the world to see, with the action continuing on Wednesday. 

The stand out game of the night sees Roma host Real Madrid. With all due respect to fans of Gent and Wolfsburg, the clash of two of Europe’s heavyweights will be in the spotlight is enough to entice any football fan. While the focus will be on the usual suspects - Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodriguez and co. from the away side's perspective - the metronomic Luka Modric can be expected to be the key man for Real Madrid once again. 

The Croatian endured his fair share of critics following his big money move to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in 2012, but has since become a key member of this Galactico laden Blancos side in their bid to oust Barcelona as Spain and Europe’s top team. While Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria were considered dispensable despite impressive campaigns following Modric’s arrival in Spain, the Croatia international has rendered himself undroppable in the eyes of his managers, be it Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez or Zinedine Zidane. 

The fact of the matter is simple - when Modric plays well, Real Madrid play well. The 30-year-old is a vital component in the middle of the park for the title hopefuls and is expected to play a key role for the club at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night. To emphasise his importance, only a handful of Madrid players boast a better pass success rate than Modric (91.7%) in the Champions League this season. In La Liga, meanwhile, only teammate Toni Kroos (93.5%) boasts a better pass success rate than Modric (91.4%). 

One of the calmest performers with the ball at his feet, his coolness when in possession allows for Real Madrid to maintain pressure on the opposition defence. This is highlighted best in that the midfielder is playing more accurate passes in the opposition half (934) than any other player in Spain’s top tier this term, highlighting his statistically calculated WhoScored strength of  ‘passing’. 

This further accentuates the dominance with which Real Madrid can exert over opposition sides in the league. Given Los Blancos’ standing in La Liga, more often than not they will enjoy a lion's share of possession. Only Barcelona (62.1%) average more possession than Real Madrid (56.6%) in the Primera Division this term, so a player capable of holding onto the ball in order to keep opponents on the backfoot is essential. 

As noted, Modric does so to an exemplary standard. Yet it is not just in the opposition half where his ability to pick out a teammate with ease is evident. Only Neymar (495) has played more successful passes in the final third than Modric (458) in La Liga this season. Given the attacking personnel at Zidane’s disposal, the need for a player to pick out a teammate in and around the box is high, but it’s a creative burden that Modric is happy to shoulder. 

Perhaps not given the credit he wholeheartedly deserves, this is in part due to Modric regularly not playing the ball that leads directly to the goal, but rather the penultimate pass for the assist. His best assist return in La Liga came in the 2013/14 season, where he provided six goals for his teammates. With four assists this term, he is in line for break that record, but it still somewhat downplays the overall impact he has on this Real Madrid side. 

The likes of Ronaldo, Benzema and Gareth Bale enjoy their fair share of the plaudits, but it’s Modric who makes Madrid tick. No teammate has won more WhoScored man of the match awards in La Liga than Modric (4), bringing further attention to his importance in the middle of the park. While he’s not one to shirk the defensive side of his game, the midfielder prefers to maximise his impressive reading of the game, with his average of 1.9 interceptions per game the fifth best of Real Madrid players - those above him all play in defence. 

Modric’s proactivity in a key area of the pitch not only helps limit opposition attacks, but allows for the creator to instigate counter attacks in midfield. Against Roma on Wednesday night, this side of his game will be crucial as he looks to limit Miralem Pjanic’s influence. The Bosnia and Herzegovina international is at Roma’s creative hub and needs to be kept in check if Real Madrid are to secure a positive result in Italy. 

Provided Modric can utilise his ability to intercept the opposition, Pjanic could well struggle to bring his offensive teammates into play. If he can stem the flow of attacks, then Roma’s primary route to goal will be blocked, thus increasing the chances of Real Madrid coming away from Italy with the advantage. 

Zidane has at his disposal a number of performers capable of turning the game in Real Madrid’s favour in the blink of an eye. Ronaldo is confident enough to go for goal from any range, while Benzema’s recent goalscoring exploits serve as a telling reminder of the Frenchman’s striking quality. In Modric, though, Real Madrid’s playmaker is arguably the club’s most important player.

How important do you think Luka Modric is to Real Madrid? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below