Luka Modric broke a long-standing Real Madrid record in Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Bayern Munich.
Luka Modric broke a long-standing Real Madrid record when he took to the field in Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena.
The Croatia international was introduced in the 75th minute of the match for Jude Bellingham, with the outing proving to be his 40th in all competitions during the 2023-24 campaign.
Modric made history with his appearance on Tuesday, with the veteran midfielder becoming the oldest player to feature in a Champions League game for Real Madrid at the age of 38 years and 234 days.
The Croatian surpassed Ferenc Puskas‘s record, which had stood since November 1965, with the Hungarian 38 years and 229 days old when he turned out for Real Madrid against Kilmarnock.
There remains speculation surrounding Modric’s future at Bernabeu beyond the end of this season, as his contract is due to expire on June 30, and an exit from Los Blancos is thought to be probable.
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Luka Modric helped Real Madrid claim a draw in Germany
Real Madrid were 2-1 behind when Modric entered the field at Allianz Arena, but Vinicius Junior‘s second of the match in the 83rd minute levelled the scores at 2-2.
“The commitment was fantastic, especially at the end to try to equalise. Bayern showed their best and we only did so in parts of the match. The best moment of the game for us was when we conceded the goals,” Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters after the match.
“We had plenty of possession, but they were looking for a way to break the deadlock and score both goals. It’s a good result and gives us confidence for the second leg. The tie is open because Bayern have players with great qualities.
“The tie is the same as it was yesterday. It’s no surprise what Bayern have done because they have players with plenty of quality who can hurt you.
“Unfortunately, they scored against us when we were at our best. Afterwards, with effort and the contribution of those who came into the game, we managed to equalise.”
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The second leg of the semi-final will take place on May 8
Ancelotti said that his side ‘were not at their best’ on Tuesday evening, but the Italian is expecting a strong performance in the second leg of the semi-final next week.
“We’ve reached this point in the season with a fantastic opportunity to play in another final. When you have the ball, you have to attack well and when you don’t have it, you have to defend well,” he added.
“We’ll try to do this because you can’t always have the ball. We didn’t see the best Real Madrid today. Let’s hope we see it in the second leg. “It’s going to be tough because we’re playing against a great team and the tie is evenly balanced, but the fans are going to help us in the second leg for sure.”
Real Madrid are 11 points clear at the top of the La Liga table heading into the next set of fixtures, and Ancelotti is therefore expected to make wholesale changes to his XI for this weekend’s league clash against Cadiz.
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