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Former Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has sent a message to Luka Modric after the latter reached a significant milestone at Real Madrid.
Modric made his 500th appearance across competitions for Los Blancos when he came on as a second-half substitute in a 2-1 win against Barcelona on 28 October. The Croatian, albeit unintentionally, even assisted Jude Bellingham's second goal, which proved to be the winner in Catalonia.
Congratulatory messages poured in after the match as Modric became just the 15th player to complete 500 matches for Real Madrid. Rakitic, who played for Barcelona from 2014 to 2020 until his transfer to Sevilla, chimed in as well. He said, via the Athletic (h/t BarcaUniversal):
"Our relationship is much bigger than football. It is incredible to see the boy I met more than 15 years ago has played 500 games for Real Madrid and won the Ballon d’Or. It is incredible that a player from our country, Croatia, can do it. And he is a lesson for all of us that age is just a number.
"Congratulations to you Luka for being a unique, incredible player and an even better person. I hope there is still much more to come, that you continue to give us so much joy."
Rakitic and Modric have played 84 times together for Croatia's national team and they were both a crucial part of their second-placed finish at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The two, meanwhile, faced each other 25 times as opponents, with 15 of those games being El Clasicos. Rakitic is currently playing for Sevilla, whom he joined after leaving Barca in 2020.
Real Madrid extend lead at the top after win over Barcelona
Barcelona went into the La Liga game against Real Madrid on 28 October knowing that a win would put them above Los Blancos in the table.
But Jude Bellingham had other plans. The English superstar's sensational brace fired Los Merengues to a hugely important win in Catalonia, taking his team four points ahead of Barcelona.
Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring in the sixth minute but Bellingham scored twice in the fourth quarter of the game to hand his team a win. Real Madrid now have 28 points to their name from 11 matches so far.
Girona are second, but only on goal difference. Atletico Madrid, who have a game in hand, have overtaken Barcelona in third, with 25 points to their name — one more than Barca. The loss against Real Madrid also put an end to Barca's unbeaten start to the 2023-24 season across competitions.
