Real Madrid ratings vs Man City: Miserable Luka Modric display sums up sorry Champions League exit

Real Madrid ratings vs Man City: Miserable Luka Modric display sums up sorry Champions League exit

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The Croatian star looked lost in central midfield Carlo Ancelotti's side were overrun by their English hosts at the Etihad Stadium


Luka Modric went missing in the kind of match where he usually comes alive, while the rest of his team-mates didn't do much to help as Real Madrid were battered by Manchester City, with only Thibaut Courtois preventing a 4-0 scoreline from looking even uglier.


Courtois kept Madrid in the game early, keeping out an Erling Haaland header from point-blank rage with an instinctive save. He was at it again shortly after, lunging at full stretch to block another Haaland effort. But he could do little about City's opener: Bernardo Silva found himself unmarked in the box, and smashed his shot home from close range. The Portugal playmaker added a second before half-time, finding the far corner with a tidy header.


Madrid responded to some degree after the break, and worked their way into the game. But they never created a clear chance, and didn't do enough off the ball to prevent City from piecing together attacking moves of their own.


A third from the home side, this time a deflected header that brushed Eder Militao's shoulder, killed the game for good. A Julian Alvarez fourth in stoppage time turned it into a rout.


The loss could mark the end of an era of Champions League dominance for Madrid. And Modric, now 37, might just have seen his last big chance at European glory disappear into the Manchester night.