141 touches, 93% passing accuracy: Real Madrid veteran continues to showcase his mastery in midfield | OneFootball

Real Madrid put on a show at the Santiago Bernabeu as they took on RB Salzburg in their favourite competition, the UEFA Champions League.

The Merengues came out 5-1 winners in this game, and this win takes off a lot of pressure from the team as they are now much more likely to advance to the Round of 16 and also keeps them in contention for direct qualification to this stage of the competition.

Rodrgyo Goes, Vinicius Junior, and Kylian Mbappe all got on the scoresheet, with the Brazilians both getting two goals to their names, while the Frenchman scored a goal in between.

Although he did not get on the scoresheet, another player who put in a highly impressive performance in this game from the midfield was the Real Madrid veteran Luka Modric, who continues to put in amazing performances despite his 39 years of age.

The highlight of his performance against Salzburg was inarguably his long pass to Vinicius Junior that ended up in the Merengues’ fourth goal on the night after the Brazilian beat several defenders with his wizardry before putting an exquisite finish to it.

But beyond this assist, the Croat once again bossed the midfield as Sofascore statistics note that he made a total of 141 touches on the ball. He showcased his excellence in passing as he attempted 128 passes on the night, and completed 119 of them, thus recording a 93% passing success rate. He also had 2 key passes on the night and attempted 12 long balls, 9 of which were accurate.

Despite being the oldest player on the pitch, he also showed his tenacious side by winning 5 of the 6 duels he was engaged in during this match.

Defensively, he made 1 clearance, 2 interceptions, and 4 tackles, and showcased his composure by making no fouls at all on the night.

Thus, Modric once again showed that he can continue to play the full 90 minutes without many problems, which is just another testament to his longevity and fitness.

However, one has to recognise that this Salzburg side did not pose much of a threat after the first few minutes, and the Croat might face greater difficulties when facing bigger sides in Europe and Spain. Still, this was a highly encouraging performance from him, and Real Madrid fans will be feeling lucky to still be able to witness their legend’s magic despite his advanced age.