Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Football London
Football London
Sport
Louie Chandler

Chelsea told the one 'quality' Real Madrid player they have to stop in Champions League clash

Chelsea have been warned of Luka Modric's quality ahead of their Champions League quarter-final, first leg on Wednesday night despite the Croatian approaching his 37th birthday.

Modric will go down in history as one of the greatest midfielders of all time. The 2019 Ballon d'Or winner has shown longevity in his career and was one of the stars of the show as Madrid beat Paris Saint-Germain at the Bernabeu to book their place in the last eight of the competition.

Thomas Tuchel's men brushed reigning French champions Lille to one side over two legs to set up a repeat of last season's semi-final, one Chelsea prevailed in before beating Manchester City in the final in Porto.

READ MORE: Thomas Tuchel will expect Chelsea's own Lionel Messi to return and complete Real Madrid repeat

It was Karim Benzema who stole the headlines in the Spanish capital back in March. With Kylian Mbappe firing PSG into a 2-0 aggregate lead, the French marksman netted a second-half hat-trick to ensure the 13-time winners progressed.

After the final whistle, Carlo Ancelotti piled praise on both Benzema and Modric for their longevity, saying: "Every day they are better. I have the pleasure of being with them. Karim had an injury, now he's back, and Luka always plays at his best, wherever he is."

Now, former Tottenham defender and coach Gus Poyet has echoed the thoughts of Ancelotti and warned Chelsea that Modric is the best midfielder he has coached in his career.

Speaking to Spanish outlet AS, the Uruguayan said: “Modric has an understanding, a quality, a balance in his game, the position, how he looks for the ball… With respect to others, the best I had in front of me."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.