Pellegrini press conference
The next five days are crucial for Real Madrid, who put La Liga and the Champions League on the line against Sevilla and Lyon, but Manuel Pellegrini made it clear during today’s press conference that the team is taking one match at a time.
Sevilla:
Sevilla are as tough an opponent as all the other teams who have visited the Bernabeu. They beat us in the first match by playing very well. We hope to return the favor. Every match is different, and both these teams are different than when they first met. Real Madrid have made a lot of progress and Sevilla are in very good form. I hope we can beat them this time round.
Their squad:
Sevilla have a very talented squad and it doesn’t matter who plays. They are in the hunt for several titles. They are extremely motivated by the chance to beat us, but the same goes for us. Jesus Navas is very talented and he will be tough to stop, but he isn’t the only player we need to keep an eye on.
Importance of tomorrow:
Winning on Saturday is crucial. There are 14 matches left and 42 points in play. We cannot give up as long as there is a mathematical chance. We need to beat Sevilla to stay in the hunt for the title and Lyon to make into the quarterfinals.
Lyon:
We haven’t even begun thinking about Lyon. We will do so starting on Sunday.
Guti to Realmadrid.com
Guti sat down with Realmadrid.com to discuss personal matters as well as the team’s performance of late and how Los Blancos are preparing for what is left of the season.
How do you feel?
I have recovered from the sports hernia, but I wasn’t out long enough to lose my rhythm. I am anxious to play again like I was prior to the injury.
Madridistas like the way the team is playing and scoring a lot of goals.
We didn’t start off playing at the level people wanted to see, but there were a lot of changes including new players and coach. They needed time to adapt and now we are playing well. All the new signings are performing really well, as are the guys who have been here longer.
What was the turning point?
There was a before and an after to the match against Deportivo Coruña. We were worried about that match, but we played very well and didn’t give them a chance. Since then we have been very offensive-minded. We want to score a lot of goals and to make sure that we win a title this year.
Is there still room for improvement?
Always. You need to realize that we are talking about the best players in the world. We are pleased with how they are performing, but there is always room for improvement.
Scoring eleven goals in two matches isn’t an easy feat.
It is one of our strong suits. We have a ton of striking power, like you saw in Tenerife when we scored on our first two chances. Perhaps we don’t have the ball as much as we would like, but we create a lot of danger when we do.
Barcelona aren’t playing at the same level as last year. Is now the time to cut into their two-point lead?
You must keep in mind that they have had a lot of injuries, but they have also had trouble winning matches in dominating fashion like they used to. We hope they slip up soon so that the Clasico here at the Bernabeu is the deciding match.
Xabi Alonso press conference
Xabi Alonso said he was satisfied with Spain’s performance against France last night. The midfielder now thinks about Real Madrid’s clash with Sevilla on Saturday.
The France game:
Spain’s game yesterday may not have been our best, but positive things were seen throughout. We were solid and experienced no problems in defence. Our collective efforts were fantastic.
Higuain:
I am very happy for Higuain. He is playing as well for Argentina as he is at Real Madrid. It is very important for him to be in great shape for the World Cup because there is a lot of competition for the striker position on his national team. His excellent performances are great news for Real Madrid and Argentina.
La Liga:
We are just two points behind Barcelona because we’ve managed to stand out more than other teams. Both Barcelona and us are having a very good season and the league table shows this. There are many games left this season.
Just another Madridista
We need some more ketchup – Sevilla pre-preview
I want more ketchup!
Sevilla. Good team. Fourth in the table. 16 points behind us and 3 behind third placed Valencia. All that they want is 3 points. As simple as that. They got what they wanted last time we played them and are known to make life tough for us.
Real Madrid. Better team. Second in the table. 2 points behind league leaders Barcelona and might be five behind before kick-off as Barcelona play Almeria before our game. All that we want is three points as well. Our advantage is that we play at home. But generally Sevilla have never felt like they are away from home at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid vs Sevilla. 22:00 CET kick-off. Expected to be one helluva game by the neutrals as it generally involves a lot of goals. I’m gonna watch the game. Don’t miss it.
¡Hola!
Welcome to today’s post. Its all about ketchup. If we have loads of ketchup and the opponent doesn’t we are guaranteed 3 points. If its the other way round then they get three points and we get zilch. Confusing isn’t it?
So said Gonzalo Higuain in his interview to La Sexta. Its all about getting the ketchup. The Argentine has been getting it right this season just like he did last season and took his form with Real to Germany where he traveled with his national side to earn Diego Maradona’s side a valuable win by scoring the only goal of the game proving himself yet again as to why he deserves an improved contract. He spoke about his contract as well, saying:
I too hope so. HE DESERVES A DAMNED RAISE! ARE YOU LISTENING Sr.PEREZ?
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March 5, 2010 | Categories: Comments, News, Pre-preview | Tags: Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuaín, José María Gutiérrez 'Guti', Ruud van Nistelrooy, Sevilla FC | Leave A Comment »