In the other match today, Madrid managed to get 3 points as well where Modric and Vini brought Girona to their knees which makes Madrid also stick to Barcelona for now.
Speaking of the match, it was strange not seeing Valverde on the pitch but it had to be done as he is one of the most solid players to date in Madrid so he needed to rest of course, other than that Modric's goal was really cool for me, it seems like age is just a number too for Modric at the moment.
Valverde is one of the midfielders who is indeed very good even this season he was also explored further into a fullbek which certainly made him even more luxurious so it is not wrong that many people say that he is a roll royce midfielder because he is very good in terms of performance. For this time he was rested it was still quite good because it was necessary to have momentum for him to watch first in addition to not to proportion the strength because he always played for full time, Madrid's schedule for the next few matches is also quite a bit difficult where 2 dark horse clubs last season (sociedad and Betis) will be ready to tackle, besides that Atletico in the Champions League has also been waiting so resting Valverde is a wise decision I think.
As for Modric, it is undeniable that at his age he is one of the figures who brings maturity to Madrid's midfield so it is not wrong to say that age is just a number to this player just like several other players who are quite old but able to remain competitive in the competition.
Modric is cheating time, but Madrid HAS to start preparing for life after him. A 39-year-old cannot be relied upon to carry the midfield forever. Indeed, he is still balling out, but eventually the age will strike. It happens to EVERY player. Look at Iniesta's last years at Barça, Xavi's slow fading before travelling to Qatar, or Pirlo's difficulties in his last Juventus season
Who steps up?
- Jude Bellingham serves as the natural heir, but his role is more advanced
- Tchouaméni is a destroyer, not a tempo-setter
- Camavinga is great, but still inconsistent in orchestrating a midfield
Madrid has to begin considering that deep-lying playmaker function this summer. One cannot expect a fresh Modric to show up one day. And Valverde? Though he is a monster, he finds great delight in chaos rather than discipline. When you call for speed, verticality, and destruction, he is the one you release. He is not the sort of "dictate the tempo" player
Madrid’s schedule is brutal. If they don’t handle these rotations right, they could burn out like Barça 2022 or Atlético 2021 when they peaked too early and collapsed. This goes beyond merely letting players resting. This has to do with long-term supremacy