Why Luka Modric vs. Gabi and Augusto Will Be Key Real Madrid vs. Atletico Battle
It's been no secret that Atletico Madrid's players have long admired Luka Modric, and ahead of their UEFA Champions League final meeting with the Croatian and Real Madrid on Saturday at San Siro in Milan, Atletico's Koke made it clear again.
At his club's open media day last weekend, Koke was asked which player he would take out of Real's XI if he had the option to make Atleti's opponents less dangerous. His response: "I would choose Modric if I could because I like the way he pulls the strings of the team."
It wasn't a surprise.
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After all, the difference in this Real Madrid side when Modric is there and when he's not is profound. The Croatian is the man who sets his side's fluency, who skips past opponents to break up defensive shapes and who regularly splits teams open with a single pass.
With him, Real are typically incisive and free-flowing; without him, they're nothing like that.
Since Zinedine Zidane took over as manager at the Santiago Bernabeu, Modric has also been the architect in Real's most consistently threatening move: from between lines, the rapid release of pinpoint balls into the channels for Real's onrushing full-backs in Marcelo and Dani Carvajal, who in turn pick out the forwards.
As such, the Real midfielder and his central battle with Atleti's Gabi and Augusto Fernandez will be crucial to the outcome of Saturday's contest.
Here, we take a detailed look, starting with how the tactical methods of these sides make the aforementioned battle so important.
Atleti Know They Can Hurt Real; Real Need a Response
The pattern is well set. When these teams meet, the approach from each side is relatively predictable: Real dominate possession; Atleti counter-attack.
It's the latter, though, who have more clarity in their purpose.
As demonstrated in the most recent Madrid derby at the Bernabeu in late February, Diego Simeone's men are experts in forcing their neighbours wide and owning the central third of the pitch (more on this in a minute).
In doing so, Atleti put themselves in a fantastic position to make rapid and direct attacks right down the middle when possession is turned over. Antoine Griezmann demonstrated that at the Bernabeu with the game's only goal, and further illustrations came against Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals and semi-finals.
It's a significant concern for Real, given their extreme vulnerability against fast breaks, and this fills Atleti with the knowledge that they have a proven tool for hurting their city rivals.
Thus, Saturday's contest won't be decided by Atleti's ability to land blows on Real—we already know they can and probably will.
Instead, this European final will more likely be determined by whether Real can conjure a response.
Atleti's Masterclass at the Bernabeu
The following diagram serves as an illustration of how brilliantly Atleti pushed Real into exactly where they wanted them in February's derby:
By dominating the central channel of the pitch, Atleti consistently forced Real to the flanks, where Carvajal and Danilo (in the absence of Marcelo) were pushed high. But it was once Atletico had the hosts there that the sophistication of Simeone's approach became evident.
When Real worked the ball to the right through Modric and Carvajal, Koke would join Filipe Luis and press the ball with intensity all the way to the sideline. This prevented crosses from coming in, while Griezmann would drop back into the space Koke left. As such, Real were forced to go back around the other way.
But it was the same on the other side, too.
When Real worked the ball to the left through Toni Kroos, Danilo and Isco, Saul Niguez helped Juanfran pressure the ball right to the sideline, with Fernando Torres mimicking Griezmann and dropping in to fill the hole.
Compounding the issue for Real was the presence of a half-fit Karim Benzema (he was substituted at half-time). Of Zidane's forwards, it's the Frenchman who pushes into the midfield and links the lines together, but without him, Real have little presence centrally in attack.
Thus, time after time in February's derby, Real moved the ball in big shoehorns without being able to trouble Atleti, possession going from one wing, back to the centre-backs and then round to the other wing, before coming back around again.
In short: exactly what Atleti wanted.
Key Battle: Modric vs. Gabi and Augusto
In that recent derby, the big issue of that shoehorn patten of movement for Real was that Modric couldn't get on the ball in central areas anywhere near regularly enough to pick out his forwards and bombing-on full-backs.
On one of the few occasions he did, he created the best chance of the game for Cristiano Ronaldo, who pulled his shot inches wide.
That aside, however, Atleti's central midfielders in Gabi and Augusto—with the help of the suffocating tactical work around them—were able to contain Modric comfortably. Whenever the Croatian attempted to come inside, the Atleti pair could close him down and leave him isolated, given that his team-mates were consistently being pushed to the sidelines with Atleti dominating the central channel.
Saturday's final, though, is shaping up a little differently.
With a fully fit Benzema to play through, Real will have greater presence down the middle. Additionally, Marcelo (who missed the last clash with Atleti) will give Zidane's side more penetration when pushed wide, while the cover that Casemiro (who's become integral since the recent derby) provides will allow Modric to be more aggressive than he was last time, when the defensively vulnerable Kroos was behind him.
Thus, Gabi and Augusto are likely to have a more difficult job on this occasion, and it's why their battle with Modric looms as the big one.
If the disciplined Atleti pair can shut him down again and deny him any space and time, Real's response to Atleti will likely be limited. But if Modric can skip away from them, if he can find himself on the ball in that central area in front of the Atleti box, Real will have the opportunities to open up the best defence in Europe.
