Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelottti was full of praises for veteran midfielder Luka Modric for his performance in midfield during the Madrid Derby clash with defending champions Atletico Madrid. Luka Modric pulled the strings in midfield as Real Madrid ran out 2-0 winners to strengthen their position as the top team in the Spanish La Liga.
Modric was the best player on the pitch as goals from Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio either side of the interval ensured that Real Madrid extended the lead over their opponents atthe top of the Spanish La Liga table. Real Madrid have an eight-point lead over Sevilla in second place with a game in hand, while they now have 13 points more than Atletico Madrid in fourth place having played a game more than the reigning champions.
Veteran Croatian Modric was given a new one-year deal in the summer and he has started 12 of the 17 Real Madrid games in the Spanish La Liga since then thus putting him in sixth as far as the starters’ list at the club is concerned.
Real Madrid boss Ancelotti has previously talked about the need to rest Luka Modric and that could happen in the last two league games of this year. The Italian tactician could choose to rest him for one of the two games against Cadiz and Atheltic Bilbao. The home game against Cadiz this weekend could give Ancelotti the perfect chance to rest Modric in comparison to the away game against Athletic Bilbao which is tougher on paper.
