21 February 2023 , 18:37
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Luka Modric has named Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta as the toughest opponent of his distinguished career.
The Real Madrid midfielder, who's still going strong at the ripe age of 37, made sure to praise Premier League icons Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard but couldn't select either of them over Iniesta. Modric will face Gerrard's beloved Liverpool on Tuesday in a mouthwatering Champions League round-of-16 first-leg tie at Anfield, and it was ahead of the game when the Croatian playmaker was asked to choose his toughest opponent.
"I always say Iniesta because it was so difficult to defend against him," Modric declared to BT Sport. "He played on the left, I was playing on the right and when we played against Barcelona, it was so difficult. [He was] so good on the ball, quick thinking. I played against so many great players in England like Lampard, Gerrard but this guy was different."
It's no wonder that the Real star found playing against Iniesta so difficult, as the duo clashed in 16 matches for club and country before the Spaniard left Barcelona to join Japanese outfit Vissel Kobe in 2018 - for whom he still plays for aged 38. Modric was on the losing side for half those occasions, only beating Iniesta's five times and three games being draws.
Mostly during his days as a Tottenham Hotspur player, the 37-year-old squared off against Lampard 10 times and Gerrard on seven occasions. Now Modric will be back on English soil in a bid to help Real retain their Champions League crown after beating opponents Liverpool in last year's final.
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The Croatia captain remains an integral part of Carlo Ancelotti 's team and winning the competition again would add an incredible sixth Champions League title to his lengthy list of accomplishments. "That would be marvellous, but we haven't spoken about what it would mean to have six," Modric admitted. "We are going game by game, as we've always done and as we did last season."
Luka Modric and Andres Iniesta battled for six years representing Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively (Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)Have your say! Is Modric the best midfielder of his generation? Let us know your pick in the comments section.
Despite a series of vintage displays for Croatia at the World Cup, helping his nation finish third, there are suggestions that Ancelotti's new midfield linchpin could be losing his magic. Modric and long-time partner Toni Kroos have struggled for consistency as a pairing this term without now former midfield rock Casemiro, who left to join Manchester United in a £70million transfer during the summer.
"Before the World Cup, Toni and I were playing together and were doing well. Now, people seem to think we can't play together," Modric explained. "The young players are coming through and doing very well, which means the future is bright. They have to keep working and learning and I'm sure they'll do well. They're not at Real Madrid by chance."