Another dashing recital from Modric and Kroos

Real Madrid’s engine room is at full throttle. At the controls are Modric and Kroos, two of the most stylish midfielders in the business. They move about gracefully and effortlessly and give meaning to the team’s moves whenever they receive the ball. With those two, Madrid have the security to advance forward smoothly, without haste, without pause; when they press high and once they’ve broken through the first line of defence, it’s very easy for either of them to release any of the forwards with a threaded pass. The same thing happens when the team regains possession as their opponents are trying to break. They’ve always been good players, but against Granada on Sunday they played with such class and understanding that they even  managed to turn a short corner into a work of art.

That short corner produced Nacho’s goal - the team’s second. Asensio slotted home the first after being sent through on goal by Kroos, who was quick to pounce when Vinicius won the ball back in the middle. Modric gifted Vinicius the third, capping off a great counter attack and pass from Benzema. The fourth came from a through ball from the midfield engine room’s boilerman Casemiro, straight to Mendy. Incidentally, Casemiro was also the one who instigated Benzema’s counter attack. Between those two violin soloists Casemiro never fades - even though this season he has been nowhere near his usual standard. The three of them make up an imposing midfield that Ancelotti daren’t touch - and if he did, it would surely ruin it.

And it was from Madrid’s neat and tidy engine room that Madrid managed to comfortably beat Granada in a game which they didn’t really get going in until it was 1-2. After that, it grew in intensity, and we started seeing more of Vinicius, who ended up causing all kinds of problems. To the extent where Monchu was shown a red card for sending him flying with a thuggish tackle, as if to say, “Don’t get too cocky at our ground, sunshine”. Ancelotti took him off, after seeing he had become a focus of irritation for the hosts, and bearing in mind Madrid’s other commitments that lay ahead. Then, after the final whistle was blown, all of the comments turned to Modric and Kroos’ latest masterclass.