Luka Modrić’s impressive heatmap against Atlético de Madrid

The leadership and performances of the old guard have been an important factor in the crucial victories achieved by Real Madrid in the last three games. In particular, Luka Modric has shone and helped lead his club to vital victories when they hopefully turned a corner.

The Croatian’s energy has left his jaw dropped as he works tirelessly to provide support in the final third without running away from his defensive duties. Many are beginning to wonder if the winner of the Ballon d’Or has really discovered the fountain of youth.

AS Twitter newspaper

Modric was always present in the Madrid derby and was a fundamental piece in controlling the pitch to suffocate and demolish Simeone’s men. The heat map shows that the midfielder did not limit his impact to a single zone as he left his mark all over the field. While he was certainly more active on the right side, as that was his assigned position, Modric moved smoothly as required to improve ball circulation, play development and defensive stability.

WhoScored website

Luka Modric game by numbers included 84 touches 77 pass90% precision including six accurate long balls), two shots, and two interceptions. As good as Modric was this game, it was arguably not even his best performance of the last three games. And as much as he is showing that he is capable of managing the demands placed on him at his age, Zidane will have to make sure he uses the rotation so as not to overload Real Madrid’s number ten.