Real Madrid’s Luka Modric celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish league match against Girona, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025.
Luka Modric and Vinicius Junior scored stunning goals to secure a 2-0 win for Real Madrid over Girona on Sunday, keeping the team level with league leaders Barcelona.
Modric opened the scoring in the 40th minute, controlling a rebound with his chest before firing a mid-height right-footed shot from outside the box.
“I’ve said it before, Modric is a gift to football; he should keep playing as long as he wants,” said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti. “He’s created an era here. Football is lucky to have him, with his quality, professionalism, and dedication.”
Vinicius Junior sealed the win in the 83rd minute, finishing a through ball from Kylian Mbappé, who had expertly headed it past goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.
“I saw Vinicius at his best,” Ancelotti remarked. “He could’ve been more clinical in front of goal, but he was unstoppable in the second half. He played a game at his best level.”
Real Madrid ended a two-match winless run to reach 54 points, tying with Barcelona, who defeated Las Palmas 2-0 on Saturday. The Blaugranas remain at the top due to tiebreaker rules. Atlético Madrid follows closely in third with 53 points after their 3-0 away victory over Valencia.
Modric made his ninth start of the season, scoring his second goal (fourth of the season) just before halftime.
Despite Real Madrid’s dominance, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was the standout player in the first half. He made a crucial save, denying Donny van de Beek’s goal-bound shot after the 30-minute mark.
That save set up a counterattack, with Vinicius Junior driving into the area. However, he was unable to pass to Kylian Mbappé for a potential goal, as Ladislav Krejcí made a crucial sliding block to deflect the pass out of play.
