Luka Modric: Real Madrid's Croatian midfield maestro still magnificent at 36

It is not difficult to identify the biggest threat to Manchester City's chances of reaching the final.

Benzema has scored a hat-trick in each of Real Madrid's last two games, suggesting that he is ready to take over the mantle of Mr. European League from his former team-mate.

Luka Modric, who is 36, is also having another magnificent campaign because he is getting better with age.

In fact, a case could be made that Modric is more important to Real than Benzema because of his ability to build play from the back and create danger around the penalty area.

The Croat has made a big impact on the competition this season, delivering a wonderful assist to Rodrygo with the outside of his right foot to force extra time in the quarter-finals of the competition.

The moment of magic was dubbed the "pass of the decade" by former Rangers player Ally McCoist and fellow pundit Rio Ferdinand. With Modric on the pitch, nothing is impossible. Don't wait, build him a statue now!

Real president Florentino Perez said that Luka Modric should be considered for another Ballon d'Or after his performance in the Spanish Super Cup final.

The 'Benjamin Button' of European football

There is a sense that it shouldn't be possible for Modric to perform so well at the age of 36.

He was filmed celebrating in the dressing room after last month's comeback victory over Paris Saint-Germain, still apparently full of energy despite covering more ground than any other Real player.

Modric is only a year younger than Rodrygo's father, a former professional player in his native Brazil, and the pair have jokingly adopted the respective nicknames.

At the end of last season, sports paper AS described Modric as "Benjamin Button" - in reference to the Brad Pitt movie about a man who ages in reverse - after noting with disbelief that he had made 57 appearances for Real and Croatia over the course of the campaign, completing the full 90 minutes in 33 of them.

And he hasn't slowed down since then, playing 44 games so far this season to make the idea that he could keep on playing into his 40s - as suggested in a recent interview with AS by Vlatko Vucetic, a Croatian fitness specialist who works closely with Modric - appear not quite so ridiculous.

Modric's position in Real Madrid's history books is already assured as he keeps on going.

Real's best ever midfielder?

His first season was disappointing after joining from Spurs.

Modric became a key player under Carlo Ancelotti in the first season he was at Real, and he contributed to one of the most famous moments in club history: the injury-time goal by Ramos.

Since then, Modric has been an indispensable member of the Blancos, winning three more European titles and taking the Ballon d'Or after the most recent of those victories in 2018, the same year he inspired Croatia's run to the World Cup.

It has helped that the majority of his time in Spain has been spent as one-third of an exceptional trio, which includes Casemiro, who has made a staggering combined total of 1,114 appearances in the famous white shirt.

They complement each other perfectly, Casemiro's defensive instincts, Kroos' metronomic passing and Modric's energy and guile provide everything a midfield could need.

Modric is the one who has produced the regular magical moments of creative brilliance to really stand out, and he now probably has only Zinedine Zidane as a serious rival for the status as the club's best-.

The past few months have made it clear that he is not finished yet. If you are good enough, you are young enough. Modric, who made his professional debut when Phil Foden was three years old, is still one of the best.