Real Madrid News
Real Madrid plan to carefully manage workload of midfield mainstay next season
When Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi dominated the Ballon d’Or awards, the world knew it would take something special to break the duopoly. It was finally Luka Modric who did the unthinkable in 2018 after a stunning season for club and country.
Now nearing 37, the Croatian international is still as vital to Real Madrid’s plans as he once was. Despite his age, the club offered him a one-year contract extension last month to keep him in the team for the coming season.
According to reports from Diario AS, Real Madrid will take special care of Modric this season. The management recognises that he played 103 games in the last two seasons and believes that his workload must be better managed to get the best out of him.
While the veteran will continue to start in important games, his prominence as a regular starter will be greatly reduced. This will not only provide rest to the player but also help the manager oversee a smooth transition to the next generation of midfielders.
Eduardo Camavinga is knocking on the doors for a starting spot and could benefit from Modric’s situation this year. The Frenchman, alongside Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, is seen as the future of Real Madrid’s midfield.
This could well be Modric’s last season at the club. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez already has his eyes set on Jude Bellingham as a natural replacement and it remains to be seen if that operation is successful.
Last season, Modric started 25 league games for Los Blancos. In that duration, he recorded two goals and provided eight assists.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. admits finishing problem after another frustrating night vs Elche: ‘Can’t miss that much’
Vinicius Jr.’s difficult start in front of goal continued against Elche, and the Real Madrid forward did not need anyone to tell him he had missed another chance to make the difference.
The Brazilian finished the night without a goal despite having chances to get on the scoresheet, while his teammates could only watch from the bench as opportunities went begging.
Jose Mourinho had already identified the problem before kick-off, bluntly pointing to the issue facing his forward, stating, “He’s missing the goal.”
Vini offered an equally frank assessment afterwards.
Rather than hide from another frustrating evening, he accepted responsibility on social media: “The goals will come back; I can’t miss that much…”
Two chances, no finish for Vinicius
Vinicius had two particularly clear openings against Elche, but neither produced the finish Real Madrid needed from their star forward.
The first arrived when he found himself one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.
Instead of finding the net, Vinicius caught the ball with the tip of his foot and sent his effort wide. Arda Guler was available during the move and called for the ball, but Vini backed himself to finish the chance.
He had another opportunity after the interval, this time following an excellent pass from Guler during a quick Real Madrid transition. Again, though, Vinicius could not find the target.
His evening ended in the 68th minute, with Mourinho deciding the Brazilian was tired and turning his attention towards Sunday’s Atletico Madrid derby.
Mourinho has a bigger decision to make
The numbers show why Vinicius’ finishing has become a talking point. He managed five shots against Elche, but only one was on target and none found the net.
After seven appearances this season, the Brazilian has scored just once, which is a striking return for a player Real Madrid rely upon to provide a major share of their attacking threat.
Ultimately, though, Real Madrid found another route to victory, with Arda Guler, Kylian Mbappe and Carlos Espi providing the goals in the 3-2 comeback.
