The football planet once again paid homage to the pure mastery of the indestructible Karim Benzema, whose hat-trick turned the dreams of the leading people of Paris Saint-Germain to finally sit on the European throne – into ashes and dust.Benzema did the impossible two days ago. He defended the honour of Madrid and overshadowed Kylian Mbappe, who put a knife under the Royals’ throat in the first half. However, it is difficult for a man who many (un)intentionally underestimate and omit from the discussions who the best goal scorer in the world could have done all that he did last night if it weren’t for – Luka Modrić.Demonstration of pure footballing artistry! The best way to describe the role of the Croatian midfielder who perfectly resists the tole of time. Shortly after the match ended at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, social media were flooded with videos of Modric’s celebrating on the pitch, in the tunnel and locker room, after which many concluded that even after ten years at the biggest club in the world, he is still hungry for victories and historical feats.Luka Modrić’s game by numbers vs. PSG:100% take-ons success88% pass accuracy69 passes12 passes into the final ⅓7 duels won6 passes into the opp. box4 x possession won4 tackles made3 take-ons completed3 crosses2 shots2 clearances1 through-ball1 assistRidiculous. pic.twitter.com/8vWMb5VhRG— Squawka Football (@Squawka) March 9, 2022 In the sea of reactions at the expense of the experienced playmaker, one stood out. Real Madrid fans compiled the names of some of the greatest midfielders of world football in the last three decades and reminded us where they were and what they were doing at the age of 37. Xavi Hernandez was coaching in Qatar, Andres Iniesta played football in Japan, Frank Lampard in MLS, while Steven Gerrard and Zinedine Zidane were already hanging football boots on a peg at that time.On the other hand, last night, Luka Modrić commanded the pitch on which Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Marco Veratti, Angel Di Maria, Leandro Paredes, Idrissa Gueye were on the opposite side…Real Madrid described Modric’s performance in two words through official channels: “Football magician”. Others were left speechless after one of Modric’s best matches in Los Blancos shirt, while Thierry Henry, today a professional consultant at Sky Sport, began his presentation by saying: “Wow!””We have to talk about Luka Modric, the absolute wizard. He is 36 years old. Wow! Just wow! Modric sees things on the pitch that others do not. When Santiago Bernabeu stadium goes against you as an opponent, you start to feel extremely small,” said Henry.In the first half, Modric was one of the few who was ready to stand up to the rival, but he mostly watched the events from the side, as he was locked in the middle of the pitch by Gueye and Veratti. Entering in the 57th minute, instead of the injured Kross, Eduardo Camanvinga freed up Modrić and enabled him to take over complete control of the match. He revitalized Real Madrid, showed world-class football, sacrificed himself for every loose ball – the level of dedication of someone who is closing in on his 37th birthday exceeds the intensity shown by many football players over a decade younger… He simply poured fuel into Real Madrid’s vehicle, toppled Paris Saint-Germain and participated in all three goals. Because of things like this, the Croatian will become immortal.The way he initiated a counter ahead of his team’s second goal is something football academies will show will play in the years to come. Modric picked up the ball 20 meters from his goal, took it forward and after a quick one-two with Vinicius, found Benzema through a sea of opposition players’ feet and left the Frenchman alone with Gigi Donnarumma. A guided pass not everyone can deliver. Half of that goal should go to Modric. He lifted the whole Bernabeu crowd to their feet and made Messi feel invisible in several situations when the qualifying to the quarter-finals was hanging by a thread. If Benzema had not scored a hat-trick, Luka Modric would have been the player of the match, no doubt.Mon 23:00: (5.80) Mallorca (3.90) Real Madrid (1.60)“Luka? He goes one step further every game. He does a fantastic job no matter what position he plays. Sometimes he is on the left, sometimes on the right, and the value of his contribution is limitless” said Carlo Ancelotti after the game.Now Modric can dream of winning the fifth Champions League – and rightfully so. His performance against PSG was at the level of a Ballon d’Or winner. Modrić received a lot of criticism in 2018, when he won this prestigious award because he did not provide games even close to the legitimate owner of the highest individual recognition for a long time. It was believed that his time had passed, but two nights ago he reminded how great he is and how important he is for Real Madrid, even at the sundown of his career.
