Luka Modric Compilation Vs Atalanta Shows His 'Masterclass' Midfield Performance For Real Madrid

Madrid punched their ticket to the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a clinical 3-1 victory over the Italian side at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.

Goals from Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos and Marco Asensio ensured Atalanta would exit the competition at the round-of-16 stage.

But Modric stole the show as he scooped the Man of the Match award thanks to a dazzling performance in Europe's elite club competition.

The 35-year-old Croatian midfielder rolled back the years as he pulled the strings from the midfield, setting up Benzema for Madrid's opener in the first half.

Modric's show-stealing performance wasn't unnoticed by fans, who took to social media to laud him for his brilliance on the pitch.

"He deserved that Ballon d'Or. Absolutely incredible career," one fan tweeted.

A second Twitter user argued: "He's better than [Andres] Iniesta if we are being honest. Also, his peak was longer than Iniesta's."

Someone else wrote: "He plays football so effortlessly. I'm not trying to praise him either. Check the comp [and] you'll find it quite obvious. Literally as easy as drinking water for him."

While a fourth said: "He's actually insane. I'm sorry but he deserves to be in the same convo as Xavi [and] Iniesta, not that I think he's better. Madrid didn't win s**t until he arrived and he almost won a WC with Croatia."

And a fifth posted: "Of the past 15 years, Modric, Iniesta and Xavi are in a tier of their own. Don't bring [Frank] Lampard, [Steven] Gerrard or anybody else into the discourse. It's those three sitting alone at the table."

Speaking after the match, Modric admitted that Madrid were "really happy" with their performance on the night.

"The first goal was really important to get. The boss asked us to press high and that's what we did, and it gave us confidence."

Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane told reporters after the 3-1 win that Modric "sure doesn't" look like he is 35 on the pitch.

The 48-year-old Frenchman said: "We all know the player Modric is, he may be 35 but he sure doesn't look it out on the pitch."