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Former Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso was recently asked to name the first player who comes into his mind when he thinks of the UEFA Champions League. He named two players instead - Clarence Seedorf and Luka Modric.
Seedorf is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation and played for some of the greatest clubs in history. He won four Champions League titles in his career - two with AC Milan, one with Real Madrid, and one with Ajax Amsterdam. He made 125 appearances in the competition, scoring 11 goals and providing 27 assists.
Xabi Alonso never played with Seedorf but faced him six times in club football, winning twice, losing twice, and drawing twice. Meanwhile, he faced Luka Modric eight times for club and country, winning thrice and losing the other five times. Alonso also shared the pitch 71 times with the Croat during their time together at Real Madrid.
Modric is one of the five players in history to have won the UEFA Champions League trophy six times. He sits alongside Paco Gento, Nacho Fernandez, Dani Carvajal, and Toni Kroos on the list. He has scored eight goals and provided 18 assists in 130 appearances in the competition.
Real Madrid have a tough start to 2024-25 Champions League campaign
Los Blancos are the most successful team in the Champions League history with 15 trophies to their name. Then next best are AC Milan, who have won seven. Real Madrid won their latest trophy last season after beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the final at the Wembley Stadium.
However, the Spanish giants haven't had the ideal start to their 2024-25 campaign as they look to defend their trophy. In the new format of the competition, Los Blancos faced VfB Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabeu. While they won 3-1, it wasn't a comfortable victory, with the visitors having 55% possession and 7/17 attempts on target.
Real Madrid then faced LOSC in their second game at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. They lost 1-0 courtesy of a penalty from Jonathan David in the first-half stoppage time. It is also their only defeat in 12 games across competitions this season.
Los Blancos sit 17th in the new Champions League league-stage table with three points. They will next face Borussia Dortmund at the Santiago Bernabeu in a repeat of last year's final on Tuesday, October 22.
