Luka Modric v. Ivan Rakitic: Croatian El Clasico Returns Tonight
March 1, 2020 - Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic will meet for the 18th time in El Classico tonight, to be played at 9 pm at Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.
It was March 2019, exactly a year ago. Barcelona won at the Bernabeu and Ivan Rakitic scored the only goal of the game, reports 24 Sata.
“Setien, don't forget about Raketa, he knows how to mess with Real,” read the headlines of Spanish media ahead of El Clasico on Sunday night.
And this is not by accident. Apart from the fact that Rakitic scored Barcelona's last goal against Madrid, and it has been exactly one year since then, but he has scored four goals in his career against Real Madrid. The only club he has scored more against is Real Betis, recording five goals total. Rakitic is gaining momentum once again, and has started for Barcelona in the last two games, against Eibar and Napoli. All signs lead to him starting again against Real Madrid tonight.
The 'Croatian El Clasico' returns for its 18th episode.
The first collision of Rakitic and Modric was in September 2012. Then, Rakitic was a star in Seville, while Luka Modric was going through tough times at Real Madrid. In that match, Luka came off the bench for Mesut Özil. Sevilla won 1:0, and Rakitic and Modric exchanged jerseys. Since then, they have played against each other 17 times - Rakitic celebrated nine times, four games ended in a draw, and Modric won four times.
If we were to compare the two players in La Liga this year, then Luka is more successful. Modric started in 13 games this season, playing an average of 63 minutes per game and scoring three goals. Rakitic, on the other hand, has not scored a single goal this season, has started only in nine games, and is playing 46 minutes per game.
The match tonight is a massive step towards the La Liga title. If Barcelona wins, they will be five points ahead and push Real Madrid into even bigger problems, potentially resulting in a Zinedine Zidane sacking.
Thus, the story of Ivan and Luka continues. The story of two friends, whose intertwined football journey began in September 2007, when Croatia beat Estonia 2:0.
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No Luck for Luka: Ivan Rakitić Key Player in Barcelona's El Clasico Win
March 3, 2019 - Luka Modrić and Ivan Rakitić met on Saturday evening in the always anticipated El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
This was the second time the two Spanish clubs met this week, as they played the second-leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday.
Just as Barcelona was better on Wednesday, winning by three goals, they were better again on Saturday with another win in Madrid - and this time, thanks to Croatia’s Ivan Rakitić.
In the 26th minute, the Croatian player, who was also one of the best players in the game, received a brilliant ball in the penalty area from Sergio Roberto, chipped the ball passed Madrid keeper Thibault Courtois and gave Barcelona the lead - and ultimately the win. This is Rakitić’s third goal this season in the Spanish championship.
Not even Ballon d’Or winner and Rakitić’s fellow countryman Luka Modrić could help Madrid, who played their sixth consecutive El Clasico without a win. Recall, Barcelona has won four and two games ended in a draw. The victory also has an important historical factor, as Barcelona, for the first time since 87 years, has taken over Real Madrid in the competition - Barcelona now has 96 wins, and Real 95.
“With all due respect to Real Madrid, we have made an important step towards winning the championship. Now we have to enjoy it together, let all the fans and admirers of Barcelona enjoy, and then we will turn to what is ahead of us,” said the 30-year-old Rakitić at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid.
First-placed Barcelona is now 12 points ahead of the third-placed Madrid on the table.
“When you win you have to be very happy. I'm proud of what we did. There are not many teams in the world that can say they won twice in three days,” the Croatian midfielder said on HRT.
Rakitić scored 26 minutes in for the lead, his fifth goal in 39 appearances this season.
"We talked about what happened on Wednesday, and then we started the game well. We created opportunities and felt comfortable. They pressed in the second half, which was normal because they were looking to equalize, but we managed to end the game with some counter attacks. It's a perfect thing that we've won this game here,” Rakitić said.
Even Jose Mourinho, who played the part of a television commentator on Saturday, focused a lot of his attention on El Clasico. He especially hailed Ivan Rakitić.
"I have been saying this for a long time: for me, Rakitić is one of the most underappreciated players in the world. He’s fantastic in every aspect, works a lot in the defense and compensates for Messi's defensive performance. He is fantastic with the ball, chooses simple and efficient solutions,” he said, and finished sarcastically, reports Gol.hr.
“I wanted to say this because we are mostly talking about big names. Rakitić needs to improve his Instagram and social networks, which is very important today. He’s not so good at it, but he's good on the field,” he said.
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
Croats Rule El Clásico: Rakitić and Kovačić Score, Messi Shocks Modrić in Miami (Video)
Real Madrid was losing 2:0 after just seven minutes into the game and Luka Modrić was the latest victim of Messi’s famous skills. What happened in the US edition of El Clásico?
International Media Praises Luka Modrić as Best Player of El Clasico
Luka Modric was a key figure in yesterday’s El Clasico match between Real Madrid and Barcelona which ended in a draw at Camp Nou (1:1). Not only did the Croatian midfielder assist Sergio Ramos for an equalizer in injury time, but he was the true master of the mid-field, reports Vecernji List.
