Luka Modric's Immortality Revives La Liga's Competition

MADRID, MONDAY – Thanks to Luka Modric, the competition at the top of the Spanish League standings is not overly monotonous. His efforts to break the deadlock when Real Madrid hosted Girona at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid, reignited the competitive spirit among the three title-contending teams. Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Real are racing toward the finish line at the end of the season.

Before securing a 2-0 win over Girona on Sunday (24/2/2025), Real were almost knocked out of the competition at the top of the standings. Hosting Girona in front of their own supporters was more difficult than expected. Despite stumbling in the middle of the table, Girona was able to appear with a solid defense. In addition, goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga was in top form by recording three important saves.

Without Jude Bellingham who is still serving a red card suspension, Real did play attractively and created several golden opportunities through Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Rodrygo. However, poor finishing was the biggest obstacle for “Los Blancos” to break the deadlock.

If the goal-scoring drought is allowed to continue, it will be a big problem for Carlo Ancelotti's team. Because, inconsistency in the last five matches in the Spanish League has caused Real to lose the top of the standings.

In that time, Real have only managed two wins, two draws and one loss. In their last two matches, Real were held to Osasuna and Atletico.

At the same time, Barca and Atletico, Real's main rivals, continue to advance. Barca, swept all five matches with victory. Atletico, meanwhile, has never lost with two wins and three draws.

A draw against Girona, let alone a loss, would be a bad momentum for Real in the hunt for the championship title. That is why anxiety had been on the minds of the supporters because Real had not found a way to break through Girona's goal until the first half was almost over.

A miracle suddenly came just before halftime. Not from Real stars like Mbappe or Vinicius who have recently become the team's mainstay, the awaited goal was created by Modric's feet. At almost 40 years old, Modric's old feet can still be relied on. When his body is no longer as agile and strong as before, Modric makes the difference with his eternal playing vision.

With one control, Modric unleashed a powerful, measured shot from outside the penalty box. Gazzaniga, who had previously performed heroically, was unable to block Modric's shot. He was recorded as Real's oldest goal scorer.

Things got easier for Real after Girona's defense was tamed. Real's second goal came in the second half through Vinicius' tap-in.

"Luka Modric is a gift for football and he can continue playing as long as he wants. What he does, he does very well. Real Madrid is lucky to have a legend who has defined an era and football is lucky to have him because of his reliability, quality and professionalism," Ancelotti said, as quoted from Real's website.

Real defender David Alaba said Modric's goal played a big role in lifting the players' morale. Thanks to the goal, Real found a way out of the deadlock and still maintain the chance to win the league title at the end of the season.

"Modric's goal was incredible. He is a very important player for us on and off the pitch. He is a legend and a great person," said Alaba, who has just returned from months out with injury.

Modric's contribution has made Real's top brass consider extending his contract. Modric's time with Real was supposed to last until the end of this season. Modric has the potential to get a 12-month contract extension. Real has a policy of only giving 12-month extensions to players aged 30 and over.

On the other hand, thanks to the victory over Girona, Real still maintains their hopes of competing for the title. “Los Blancos” rose from third place to second place, below Barca. Both teams have collected 54 points, but Barca has a better goal difference (+42) than Real (+31). Meanwhile, Atletico is stalking in third place with a collection of 53 points.

Alertness and focus are the keys for all three teams to win the league. This is because the rivalry for the championship title is so dynamic. In week 23, Real was still comfortable at the top with a 50-point advantage. Two weeks later, Real almost fell to third place if they failed to conquer Girona. (REUTERS)