UEFA Champions League 2018-19: Best Players from Match Day 1

#3 Luka Modric

Modric was the pivot of Real Madrid and Lopetegui will be hoping for more of the same from him

Can you keep this guy out of the game? The heart of Real Madrid’s midfield, take him out and they will nearly fall apart.

Spanish coach Luis Enrique executed his plans to perfection in stopping Luka, Eusebio Di Francesco however, not so lucky.

Luka Modric started the game a little slow but still, he had his moments. Always prowling near the box looking for the long shot, always having his heads up for the pass.

Modric showed his class very early when he hit a through ball for Isco, which did not end up in the net. Modric was not seen for much of the first half then. He just occupied his positions well and waited for chances to arrive.

In the second half, Modric displayed his whole class, he ran around the pitch, forward towards goal-scoring positions, putting the goalkeeper and defenders under pressure when they tried to build.

He had a goal scoring opportunity when he timed a perfect run into the box, but his stretch wasn’t good enough to score.

The highlight for Modric in the game came soon afterward.

Getting the ball behind the halfway line, he saw Bale’s run in a split second and delivered a perfect through ball in behind the defense.

A wonderful game from the Croatian maestro, but someone else had a better game than him. Still, Modric was the pivot of Real Madrid and Lopetegui will be hoping for more of the same from him.