Luka Modrić
- Thread starter Bergkamp10
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Cule For Life
Member
I don't think he has more longevity then Xavi either tbh according to transfermkt not including Barcelona B or Xavi retirement in Qatar, just Barcelona first team and Spain national team. Xavi played 7461 minutes more the Modric, that's about 83 full games, basically Modric will have to play another 2 full season to reach those minutes or pass them. I think a lot of people are sleeping Xavi longevity here. Xavi basically started much earlier then Modric and cemented himself part of the first team, he played more minutes in his earlier career compared to Modric, hence why he declined a little quicker.
Blanco
Active member
My favorite player ever after Cristiano, best midfielder in our history, but what a generation it was. Modric, Cristiano, Messi, Iniesta, Lewa, Benzema, Suarez, Ramos, Aguero, Rooney, Silva, Robben, Ribery, Chielini, Busi, Marcelo, Alves and so on... players born between 1984 and 1988, so much incredible talents playing against each other for 10-15 years on the highest level, we are so lucky.
Messigician
Senior Member
He's a Barca fan should have come here it isn't fair
BBZ8800
Senior Member
Played at Dinamo Zagreb till the age of 23 and for Tottenham till the age of 27.
And has 4 CLs in 9 full seasons with RM till now, with being one of key players in each CL win.
Imo, Xavi is no1.
Iniesta are Modric are on a similar level when you look at the whole career.
Iniesta was a non factor in his last 1-2 years at Barca in bigger games.
Modric is running counters vs 5 players from Psg aged 36 and a half.
Also, the mental part, imo, Modric is stronger.
He is not hiding in big games and he is not losing his spirit when he is losing, even aged 36.
Iniesta and for example, Messi, don't have that trait.
Dribbling, running counters, arguing with Neymar and telling him not to fake fouls, tackling Messi, shooting, assisting...
When you look at him, he looks so fragile (upper body), yet he never stops running and fighting.
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MagIX
Senior Member
For sure Zidane more than Litmanen
serghei
Senior Member
Yeah, could be skewed because Modric has been better post 34 years old. Xavi on the other hand was more of an early bloomer than Modric. I remember Modric at 26 being considered flop of the season at Madrid in his first year.
Overall Xavi is clearly a better and way more rare player, and with Xavi in midfield at PSG, Modric & Madrid never get even as much of a sniff back in the game. Like when those PSG players panicked and got rid of the ball straight to the Madrid players. That's the trump card Xavi. With him in midfield, you never panic under press because he's always there to make sure you have superiority in every zone around him.
Xavi is probably the best player of all time at popping up to help a teammate get out of trouble. Never seen a player with such a gift of anticipating problems before they arrive and popping up to save the situation. Xavi would basically be a gold mine for someone like Araujo.
Xavi is the main reason why teams parked the Bus against Barca. He was unpressable. He moved more than everyone else, was smarter than everyone else, and could last 90 mins doing it. Man managed to make news when he missplaced a pass
.What goes against Modric is that even at its peak, we kind of smashed Madrid with older Iniesta, Busi, and Rakitic. Players who at CM are no match for Xavi. Like 4-0, 3-0, 5-1 beatdowns. More than once. It was a consistent template in the Clasicos that we would control the game, and Madrid would try to hit us on the break with likes of Ronaldo, Marcelo, Di Maria etc. Modric was a secondary factor and we never really feared his ability to influence the game. Because that's not really his strong suit.
The inability of Madrid to dominate even a lesser Barca midfield than the one with Xavi in it shows that Modric, while elite, was never really a player to impact a game in its entirety. He pops here and there with a superb shot, a superb pass, or a nice run. But Xavi was on all the time, must have been an insufferable player to play against.
The only way Modric would be superior is if they would play for some really average manager that does not really understand much about controlling the game. Someone like a David Moyes, or EPL managers that aren't of Klopp, Pep class. That manager would probably pick Modric ahead of Xavi simply because he could do more varied work. Xavi was in essence, an elite controller-passer. The highest caliber of passer in midfield you can have. In any team that is planning to control the game and dominate the opponent Xavi would get ahead of Modric every single time.
Now if you tell me which of Xavi or Modric would be better not as a CM, but as an 8, or a 10, then it might be close. But then as an AM it's Iniesta that is a level above Modric.
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Raketa10
Senior Member
What?
serghei
Senior Member
Basically, if Modric would play against a well-built team full of class players that has Xavi as a "6" the main question would be how good is Modric's defensive coverage?
The possession power of Barcelona on the field was, make no mistake, not the work of Messi, Iniesta, Alves, or Villa. It was Xavi's. The moment Xavi was gone, the team transitioned into a more "standard" team, unable to control the match anywhere near to the level you could with Xavi. You had to defend without the ball way more.
The possession power of Barcelona on the field was, make no mistake, not the work of Messi, Iniesta, Alves, or Villa. It was Xavi's. The moment Xavi was gone, the team transitioned into a more "standard" team, unable to control the match anywhere near to the level you could with Xavi. You had to defend without the ball way more.
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Fati_Future_BallonDor
Well-known member
Xavi and Iniesta were the better peak players but Modric is better in longetivity.
serghei
Senior Member
Fati_Future_BallonDor
Well-known member
He knew: if not now than never!
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