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#2 Frenkie De Jong vs Luka Modric (Ajax vs Real Madrid)
This is the biggest surprise in terms of odds. Real Madrid will actually go into this game as underdogs according to UEFA, who have given the current holders a 30% chance to win. Well, that was back when the draw was conducted and Madrid were looking groggy.
Ajax under Erik Ten Haag have been one of the best teams this season though. They have shown massive improvement from last season. Their two main mainstays this season have been their captain Matthijs De Ligt and the young Dutch prodigy Frenkie de Jong. If you have doubts about this kid's ability, just recall that Barcelona paid €75 million for his services next season. De Jong has a brilliant passing and vision. He has a good understanding of the game, is extremely press resistant, and he is really good at holding up possession and making line breaking passes.
Well, the description of the Dutch prodigy there, it matches someone's profile, doesn't it? Of course, it does! It's as if we are describing the current Ballon d'Or holder, Luka Modric. Frenkie and Luka almost have the same profile. De Jong could also feature as a variation of the defensive midfielder who is more commonly understood as a false center-back. Frenkie starts as a center back and then moves out of position into the defensive midfield to conduct play.
It is not at all good to compare a prodigy with the master but still, we are doing it, not to undermine Modric's ability but to show how good Frenkie actually is, despite the popular opinion that he plays in the Dutch league and is overrated. Barcelona have a great signing and it will be his audition when he takes Real Madrid's midfield on. We will get an overview of how the future of the midfield at Barcelona will shape up. But he is up against a midfielder with a great legacy.
