Modric goal helps Real Madrid move level on points with Barcelona at the top of Spanish league

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Real Madrid’s Luka Modric celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Girona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Real Madrid’s Luka Modric, left, celebrates with David Alaba, right, after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Girona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Real Madrid’s Luka Modric, third from left, celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Girona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Real Madrid’s Luka Modric, left, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Girona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, right, celebrates with Kylian Mbappe after scoring his side’s second goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Girona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, right, scores his side’s second goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Girona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

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Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Girona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

By TALES AZZONI

MADRID (AP) — Luka Modric scored a beautiful long-range goal in Real Madrid’s 2-0 home win against Girona on Sunday that moved the defending champion level on points in the Spanish league with leader Barcelona.

The veteran midfielder chested the ball down in the 41st minute before firing a right-footed shot into the top corner.

“To score a goal like that, you have to keep shooting,” Modric said. “I was by myself, controlled the ball, I struck it well and thank God it went in. It was a nice goal and it’s always special to score at home in front of the fans at the Bernabeu.”

Modric received a huge ovation from the crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

“I’m very grateful and proud of the affection that Madrid fans show me every day,” he said. “Today they’ve done it again and I can only say ‘thank you.’”

Vinícius Júnior scored Madrid’s second goal after an assist from Kylian Mbappé in the 83rd to leave Madrid with the same 54 points as Barcelona, which won 2-0 at Las Palmas on Saturday. Barcelona leads on the head-to-head tiebreaker against Madrid. Atletico Madrid is one point behind the two rivals. Diego Simeone’s team won 3-0 at Valencia on Saturday.

Modric made his ninth start in 25 league matches for Madrid in a season in which the 39-year-old has played few minutes off the bench. The former world player of the year scored his fourth goal this season with his neat strike to put Madrid ahead at the Bernabeu.

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“Modric is a gift for soccer,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “We’ve had the luck of having a legend with us.”

Vinícius scored his first league goal since November from inside the area after a nice through ball by Mbappé, who on Wednesday scored a hat trick to lead Madrid to a 3-1 win over Manchester City at the Bernabeu in the Champions League playoffs.

Regulars rested, Alaba starts

Ancelotti rested a few regular starters following the City match at the Bernabeu, including central defender Antonio Rüdiger and Federico Valverde, the midfielder who for the first time this season didn’t play any minutes.

Defender David Alaba made his first start in more than a year following a knee injury, while Lucas Vázquez was back in the lineup after missing a few games to nurse a left hamstring issue.

Modric had also started in the league draw at Osasuna last weekend as Ancelotti rotated his squad for the Champions League playoff games against City. Brahim Díaz was another who got to start on Sunday.

Midfielder Jude Bellingham served the first of a two-game suspension for cursing at a referee in the match against Osasuna.

Girona, sitting in 12th place, has lost seven of its last eight games in all competitions, including three in a row in the Spanish league.

Seven-goal rout for Athletic

Forward Nico Williams scored a goal in each half as Athletic Bilbao trounced last-place Valladolid 7-1 at home.

Mikel Jauregizar, Maroan Sannadi, Oihan Sancet, Gorka Guruzeta and Iñaki Williams, Nico’s brother, also scored for Athletic.

Valladolid, which has lost six in a row, played with 10 men from the 66th after a red card for Stanko Juric. The visitors had what would have been the 1-1 equalizer in the first half disallowed for offside.

Before each match, a banner with the words “respect the referee” and “respect soccer” was displayed as players from both teams posed for photos. The campaign comes after several complaints from clubs against refereeing decisions and some threats by fans against the officials.

Other results

Japan forward Takefusa Kubo scored a second-half goal as eighth-placed Real Sociedad comfortably beat Leganes 3-0 at home.

Isco scored twice as seventh-placed Real Betis won 2-1 at Getafe.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer