Real Madrid star Luka Modric channelled his inner Alessandro Nesta by producing an incredible inch-perfect tackle on Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi.
Karim Benzema’s sensational second-half hat-trick fired Madrid to a 3-1 Champions League comeback win at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
Madrid-linked Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring in the first half in stunning fashion, but PSG unravelled in the second half and blew a 2-0 aggregate lead.
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Modric played an influential role on the pitch for Madrid, with the Croatian metronome splicing the PSG midfield in the build-up to Benzema’s second of the night.
Ahead of Benzema’s brace, the 36-year-old Madrid midfielder produced a wonderful tackle on Messi to deny PSG launching a counter-attack late in the second half.
“What a player. Still bossing that midfield in the biggest stage like that with his age right now. Brilliant. Top class,” one fan tweeted.
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While another wrote: “After this tackle, Messi knew he is finished...”
Someone else commented: “Great tackle and you know what? Great reaction from Messi. Just gets up. So many players would have rolled about there and feigned injury.”
And a fourth Twitter user posted: “This tackle was sooo [sic] clean, even Messi must have respected it.”
Messi, who signed for PSG last summer on a free transfer, was slammed by furious fans for failing to make an impact in the second-leg Champions League tie.
The 34-year-old Argentine ace was not a happy man with PSG teammate Marco Verratti after the 29-year-old Italian didn’t pass to him during first-half injury time.
Following PSG’s exit from the Champions League last 16, Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti said his side “suffered a lot” before producing “magic” at the Bernabeu.
When asked about Madrid’s comeback win, he said: “We suffered a lot but held on.
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“We had problems getting the ball, but good pressure from Karim allowed us to equalise and then the magic of the Bernabeu appeared.
“From 1-1, there was only one team going to win.”
Ancelotti added: “They’re better every day. I have the pleasure of working with them.
“Karim had an injury and now he’s back. Luka always plays at his best, wherever he plays.”
Topics: Real Madrid, La Liga, Spain, Luka Modric, Paris Saint-Germain, Ligue 1, France, Lionel Messi, Champions League, Football
Adnan Riaz