Luka Modric starts the move that turns into danger

Luka Modric is the first touch in a quick attack that ends with the ball flashing across goal and a teammate arriving to meet it.

Luka Modric is the first man in a move that quickly shifts from midfield control to a proper chance in the box.

The white No 10 takes the ball on, carries it forward and helps set the tempo before the attack is worked into the area.

From there, the ball is driven across the face of goal, with a teammate in white arriving at the far side as the goalkeeper sets himself.

It is a neat reminder of what Modric still offers in open play: not the final touch, but the pass and the timing that make the final touch possible.