Surprise Madrid star leading Nations League in tackles & interceptions | OneFootball

A surprise member of the midfield ranks at La Liga giants Real Madrid is leading League A of the Nations League in combined tackles and interceptions.

The player in question? Luka Modrić.

Veteran engine room standout Modrić is for his part fresh off taking to the pitch for his country once more on Friday night.

En route to a hard-fought 1-0 defeat at the hands of Scotland, the former Tottenham Hotspur standout played all 90 minutes, shining at the heart of Croatia’s midfield.

With he and his teammates having been left to play out an entire half whilst reduced to ten men, Modrić was forced into a more defensive-minded role than usual in Glasgow.

And his efforts amid as much, as alluded to above, have since given rise to a head-turning statistic.

As revealed by statisticians WhoScored:

‘Luka Modrić has made more tackles and interceptions combined (25) than any other player in League A of the UEFA Nations League.’

Up against the talents of all of Portugal, Poland and Scotland, as much would be an impressive feat for any player, not to mention one of 39 years of age…

Conor Laird – GSFN