Meet Real Madrid's 'Bermuda Triangle': Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro

Real Madrid defeated Juventus 2-0 on Saturday to complete their pre-season, and manager Carlo Ancelotti will return to Madrid satisfied. The Los Blancos started the game with the same starting lineup as they did in the Champions League final against Liverpool in May, but soon after the hour mark, the La Liga champions changed all 10 of their outfield players. Speaking to the media following their win against the Italian giants, Ancelotti praised the terrific trio of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro and has now dubbed them the 'Bermuda Triangle' because the ball 'disappears' whenever they are around. 

Over the years, opponents have undoubtedly learned that lesson the hard way, as seen by the abundance of La Liga and Champions League titles won by players who have perfected the skills of gaining and holding possession. Even though they are all in their 30s, Modric, Kroos, and Casemiro show no signs of slowing down, and Ancelotti is fortunate to have a group of promising young players ready to fill in when necessary as players like Fede Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, and Aurelien Tchouameni get ready to follow in the footsteps of legends. 

"I like both sets, with classic players and also rock and roll. I call Casemiro, [Toni] Kroos and [Luka] Modric the Bermuda triangle because the ball disappears there," the Real Madrid boss said.

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The starting lineup for this game would reportedly be the same as the one facing Eintracht Frankfurt in the European Super Cup final in ten days. When asked if he was being too open about his starting lineups, Ancelotti replied that it was useless to try to conceal anything.

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"In football there are no secrets. Sometimes I have doubts, because I have to evaluate other things. The squad is good, but it is not certain that these players will play in the Super Cup, there's still a week to go and we will see," the Italian said.

Meanwhile, Karim Benzema frequently completes fluid movements for Real Madrid, even though a group of seasoned midfielders largely controls the play. Ancelotti acknowledges that his captain is still a talismanic figure after the French striker, who scored 44 goals last season, found the back of the net against Juventus in his most recent pre-season game.

The Real Madrid boss added on a man expected to land the Ballon d'Or in 2022, "He's the best. He does absolutely everything well and it's so hard for defenders to mark him. That's Karim."

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On August 10, the Blancos will play Europa League champion Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Super Cup. Four days later, they will begin their La Liga championship defence away at Almeria. Spain's domestic title race is anticipated to be tough in 2022–2023 due to Barcelona's significant investment in several high-profile transfers this summer.

When asked how the Blaugrana can afford such transactions in light of their financial difficulties and whether they are once again a force to be reckoned with, Ancelotti said, "Nothing surprises me in football. They are putting together a fantastic team, but I'm just concerned with my team. You always have to respect Barcelona."

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