Real Madrid miss Cristiano Ronaldo and others have not stepped up, says Luka Modric

REUTERS
Ben Hayward4 March 2019

Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric says the European champions are missing Cristiano Ronaldo, as any team would, and admits some of his team-mates have not stepped up as hoped since the Portuguese left last summer.

Ronaldo scored 450 goals in nine seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu as Los Blancos claimed four Champions League crowns and a number of other trophies, but the 34-year-old is now a Juventus player and in his absence, Real have struggled for goals at times.

That was especially noticeable over the last week as Madrid lost twice at home to fierce rivals Barcelona, with a 3-0 defeat in the teams' Copa del Rey semi-final second leg on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu and then a 1-0 loss in La Liga on Saturday.

In the pre-match press conference ahead of Tuesday's Champions League last 16 second-leg game against Ajax at the Bernabeu, Modric was asked if Ronaldo was missed and he said: "Of course.

"Any team would miss Cristiano and finding a replacement for him is almost impossible.

Real have struggled for goals at times without Ronaldo.
AFP/Getty Images

"When he left, the club intended for other players to cover his function. For the load to be spread among the other players in attack and that's not easy. Cristiano scored 50 goals (per season) and you can't find a player out there who scores that many.

"Perhaps some of the other players had to take a step forward and not score 50, but 20... I'm not going to name names, but two or three players to score 20, 15 or 10 goals. We don't have that and that's our biggest problem this year."

Modric added that the two recent Barca games highlighted that issue. "We had a lot chances," he said. "But when you don't take them, the rival punishes you.

"Cristiano is not here, but we can't be complaining about that for 10 years. The club has put its faith in other players like [Gareth] Bale, Karim [Benzema], Mariano, Vinicius [Junior] who is doing really well...

"Sometimes things don't work out as you want, but the way to solve that is by working. Madrid will always be at the top. Sometimes things don't go well, but the team will be back."

In Pictures | Real Madrid vs Barcelona, El Clasico | 02/03/2019

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The Croatian was also specifically about Bale and defended his former Tottenham team-mate after recent criticism from fans and the media in Spain.

"Gareth is fine, looking good," he said. "He's entering a stage of his career where he won't feel at his best, but that happens to us all. He seems happy to me, he has to keep going. He wants to be the Gareth we all know. We cannot forget what he has done for this club. It seems everything is easily forgotten."

Bale shrugged off teammate Vazquez after scoring a winning penalty on Sunday.
AFP/Getty Images

And he added: "He has a lot to give and I think he'll do it. He has to work, work and work."

On his own fitness and form after some problems after the World Cup and earlier in the season, the Ballon d'Or winner said: "Since the Club World Cup (in December), I have felt a lot better. I'm at a good level now and I'm working to improve and to help the team as always."

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