90min

4 takeaways from Europe: Modric saves Real Madrid, Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen set record & more

  • Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen continued their winning run
  • Luka Modric scored a wonderful winner for Real Madrid
  • All the biggest takeaways from this week of European football

By Jack Gallagher

Two people who hit the headlines at the weekend
Two people who hit the headlines at the weekend / Mateo Villalba/Contributor and Alexander Hassenstein / Staff
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Last week was yet another in which plenty happened on and off the pitch across Europe.

On-the-pitch, teams like Bayer Leverkusen, Real Madrid and Inter continued to excel, while off-the-pitch a young Barcelona superstar signed a ginormous boot deal.

Here's the biggest talking points from around the continent.

Luka Modric is still world class

Luka Modric
Modric is an all-time great at club and international level / Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/GettyImages

He's 38 years old, he's played 850 games across a 20-year career, and despite all of that, Luka Modric is still a genuinely world class midfielder.

The Ballon d'Or winner has been used more sparingly than he perhaps would've like throughout the 2023/24 campaign by Carlo Ancelotti, but when he gets minutes he certainly makes the most of them. And that's exactly what he did on Sunday.

After coming off the bench in the final quarter of an hour Modric proceeded to produce a moment of magic for Los Blancos. The Croatian legend control expertly on the edge of the box to make a yard for himself before curling the ball beautifully into the bottom corner to earn his team a vital win over Sevilla.

Bayer Leverkusen break remarkable record

Bayer Leverkusen's players celebrate Granit Xhaka's stunning opening goal against Mainz
Leverkusen are flying in the Bundesliga / Ralf Ibing - firo sportphoto/GettyImages

Another week, another win for Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen.

Friday's 2-1 win over Mainz at the BayArena was a particularly special one for Leverkusen, with the club breaking the record for most consecutive games unbeaten by a German team - a record previously held by Bayern Munich.

Nice one.

Lamine Yamal signs with adidas

Lamine Yamal
Yamal is regarded as one of the finest young footballers in the world / Image courtesy of adidas

Off-the-pitch there a significant bit of news which broke in recent days, with adidas securing a long-term partnership with the most exciting young player in world football, Lamine Yamal.

The 16-year-old (yes, it's ridiculous) has penned a long-term deal with the boot brand, following in the footsteps of his idol Lionel Messi in doing so.

“I am proud to join adidas as they have always been the brand of the best," Yamal remarked. "Growing up, I idolised Leo Messi who has been with adidas since I first started watching football. I look forward to the many years ahead with adidas.” 

Inter continue fine form

Lautaro Martinez celebrates scoring for Inter against Lecce in Serie A
Inter are flying towards the Serie A title / Donato Fasano/GettyImages

A quick check of the Serie A table tells you all you need to know about the current Inter team.

Simone Inzaghi's team has accumulated 66 points from 25 games, scored 13 goals more than any other team, conceded five less and are currently on a run of 10 wins on the bounce in all competitions.

They might just be the best team in Europe right now.

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