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Luciano Vietto’s agent Jorge Cysterpiller has confirmed Real Madrid are keeping tabs on Villarreal’s Argentinian striker.

Spanish press revealed a couple of weeks ago that Los Blancos and Atletico Madrid are willing to bring the 21-year-old to the Spanish capital.

In an interview with Madrid-based sports daily As, Cysterpiller has admitted “Real Madrid are eyeing Vietto.” However, he hasn’t revealed whether he has started talks Los Blancos or not.

The agent also claimed Vietto “is admired by Liverpool and two Bundesliga clubs.” “I think he could leave Villarreal in the summer,” he added.

Vietto’s representative explained “a lot of big clubs are watching Luciano Vietto, there is a lot of competition for him.”

The Argentinian is having a terrific season at Villarreal, having scored 18 goals and provided eight assists in 36 appearances in La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Europa League.

Last Sunday, he lead Villarreal to a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu coming off the bench and completely changing the game, which was lead 1-0 by Los Blancos at that moment.

Villarreal signed Vietto last summer from Racing Avellaneda in a 5.5-million-euro deal. Yet, the Valencian side know they will very likely lose him in the summer, since he will receive offers from many big European clubs.

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Former Real Madrid midfielder Guti has said Los Blancos need to step it up in the closing stages of the season if they are to be successful in their quest for silverware.

The 10-time Champions League winners are top of the table with just over two months left in the league season. They also hold a 2-0 lead going into the second leg of their last-16 tie with Schalke in the Champions League as they look to defend their trophy they won last May.

With a two point lead over Barcelona and a Clasico at the Camp Nou to come in a couple of weeks, it’s all to play for in Spain.

And speaking to El Chiringuito, Guti said Madrid need to improve now or all their hard work at the start of the campaign will be wasted.

“Real Madrid are not playing well at the moment but I want to see a Madrid that do well against good opponents and dominate possession.They don’t have that fifth gear they had in the first few months of the season and they are going to suffer against the big teams, those that want the ball,” the ex-midfielder said.

“The team right now is very flat. They have players in midfield who don’t fit the profile of creative footballers.”

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AC Milan midfielder Jeremy Menez has said Seria A star Paul Pogba is ready to switch to La Liga and can handle the pressure of playing for Real Madrid.

Pogba has once again been outstanding for Juventus this season as the Old Lady challenges for the Seria A title. The France international has long been linked with a move to the Spanish capital, and stories in Spain and Italy are once again suggesting Los Blancos will launch a big money move in the summer.

Pogba played for Manchester United as a youngster before his switch to Italy, and Menez says the midfielder is mature enough now to deal with playing for the 10-time Champions League winners.

Speaking to beIN Sports, Menez stated: “Pogba is a person that is very respectful, especially amongst the more experienced players. If he does land at Real Madrid it would not surprise me. He has what it takes to deal with a dressing room as elaborate as the Los Blancos.”

The Milan man also revealed he had the chance to move to Old Trafford himself as a youngster but his parents wanted him to focus on his education.

“When I was 16, Sir Alex Ferguson wanted me at United. I was excited about this possible adventure as I dreamed of playing at Old Trafford. But in the end, my parents decided to decline the offer, preferring that I concentrate on my education.”

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Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has admitted his is enjoying his more defensive role in the team compared to the one he played at Bayern Munich.

The 25-year-old joined Los Blancos last summer from the Bundesliga outfit shortly after winning the World Cup with Germany. Many expected him to take up a role further forward and being involved in the creative side of things.

But he’s instead been used to anchor the midfield at the Santiago Bernabeu, a role he has mastered already. He’s quietly gone about his work and has established himself as one of the key figures in the starting 11.

Speaking to the FIFA website, Kroos admitted he is playing a slightly different role to the one he was used to but he’s enjoying every minute of it.

“We tend to play with three central midfielders and at the moment I have the more defensive role – and have done since the beginning of the season. I very much enjoy playing there,” he said.

“Of course the coach sets out certain demands for playing in that position, but those coincide with my own interpretation of how to play there. So in that regard I’m delighted with how things are going.

“Over the years I’ve been moving further back bit by bit and that’s fine by me. In Madrid it’s important that we have the right balance. Normally we have a lot of very attack-minded players on the pitch, so for me it’s almost of secondary importance to get forward.

“Instead, I focus on how the game is going in the middle of the park and that we’re well positioned.”

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Barcelona and Valencia are keeping tabs on Real Madrid target Radamel Falcao according to reports from British tabloid Daily Mirror.

The Colombian striker has been long linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu. Last summer, Los Blancos ruled out his signing because it was too expensive and Falcao ended up moving from Monaco to Manchester United on a loan deal.

The 29-year-old is not having a great season at the Premier League and his price has gone down significantly. Monaco have reportedly told Falcao they are not willing to keep him next season and they would let him go for 30 or 35 million euros.

This price reduction has attracted interest from Barcelona and Valencia, the Daily Mail has claimed. However, the Azulgranas have no real options of signing Falcao since they are banned from buying players until January 2016.

Valencia, on the other hand, are building a serious project thanks to Singapore billionaire Peter Lim’s investment on the club. They could make a high bid for Falcao, but the Colombian has always dreamed of playing for Madrid, and Los Blancos would always have a privileged position in the negotiations.

Real Madrid directors believe Falcao would be a great back-up for Karim Benzema, since Chicharito Hernandez will return to Manchester United next June, when his loan contract expires.

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Real Madrid’s director of institutional relations, Emilio Butrgueno, has backed boss Carlo Ancelotti after the Italian was jeered by some sections of the home support on Sunday.

The manager, who won four trophies in his first 15 months in charge of the club and ended Los Blancos’ 12-year wait for La Decima, was jeered by some fans towards the end of the 1-1 draw with Villarreal when he took of Isco and replaced him with Asier Illarramendi.

But Butagueno, a former striker for the club, said Ancelotti’s judgement is better than most and he knew exactly what he was doing.

Speaking to Madrid-based sports daily AS, he stated: “These kind of tactical decisions are the Coach’s domain and he would have felt it was for the best. We deserved to win the game but were up against a very strong team, who were well disciplined in defence.

“We had our chances in the second half but were unable to get a second goal. It didn’t go as planned although there were opportunities, a one-on-one by Cristiano Ronaldo, Jese had a chance…we’ve let two points slip.”

Looking ahead at the rest of the campaign, he said Madrid are in control of their destiny but must take each game as it comes.

“Next Saturday away at Athletic Bilbao will be a tricky test for us and the Clasico at the Camp Nou is still some way off.”

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Daniel Carvajal says he and he Real Madrid team mates threw the kitchen sink at Villarreal but weren’t able to break down the visitors on Sunday.

The Yellow Submarine left the Santiago Bernabeu with a point following a 1-1 draw that leave Los Blancos just two points ahead of Barcelona in the race for La Liga. The two rivals meet in three weeks time at the Camp Nou.

Speaking after the match, Carvajal said the players were disappointed to drop two points. But he added nobody in the squad was under any illusions and they all realise they have to work hard if they are to be successful at the end of the campaign.

“We leave here feeling like we’ve dropped two points. Our aim at home was to come away with all three points. We were up against a great rival, we lacked shooting accuracy and it is a shame we were not able to win. The coach told us during the half-time break that we had to up our tempo and take fewer touches on the ball. But games don’t always play out the way you’d like,” he said.

And he added: “We lacked accuracy with our shooting and that has cost us dearly. Our rivals in La Liga have strong squads and nobody ever said that winning this championship was going to be easy.”

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Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has said the whole club is focused on continuing off from last season and keep winning trophies.

Los Blancos take on Villarreal this evening and will be looking to move four points clear of Barcelona again after Los Cules cut the gap to just one point on Saturday night.

Speaking to the press ahead of the game, the French striker said the players want to make history and add another glorious chapter in the club’s story.

“We have a project going on in this team that has started to make history. We will not leave anything aside and go for everything. Although we are league leaders, that advantage doesn’t ensure anything. Now we’re playing another final against a great rival in Villarreal. The game is another final like the games to come at San Mames and the Nou Camp. Our motivation is to be champion,” he said.

He also added the Champions League is a priority for the players are Los Blancos seek to become the first club to retain the trophy since it took on its current identity 20 years ago.

“The UCL is exciting for me because we’re the best in it but not favourites. Defending our title successfully would be a dream.”

 

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Real Madrid defender Pepe has admitted a draw with Villarreal was frustrated but congratulated the Yellow Submarine for the efforts in the 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Los Blancos took the lead through Cristiano Ronaldo but Gerard Moreno equalised midway through the second half to grab a point for the visitors.

The draw means Real are just two points clear of fierce rivals Barcelona in La Liga with the Clasico at the Nou Camp coming up in three weeks time.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Pepe said the visitors made life tough for the 10-time Champions League winners and came to the Spanish capital with a clear game plan.

“We wanted to win even though we knew they are a good team and very hard working. They were very active and hindered our play. We fought hard but we were up against a good, well-organised side. We are still first in the league but we have to keep going right until the end,” the Portugal international said.

He added: “We tried moving the ball around and we produced a lot of good crosses, but Villarreal played with two defensive blocks of four, which made it almost impossible for us to pass the ball through the middle. We came out of the dressing room with a bit more intensity in the second half. We scored but then shortly afterwards conceded the equaliser.”

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Marcelo has said every Real Madrid game is like a final between now and the end of the season as Los Blancos look to win their first league title since 2012.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men could only manage a 1-1 draw at home to Villarreal – the first time they have dropped points at home since losing to Atletico de Madrid back in September.

The result means Los Blancos are just two points clear of Barcelona, making the stakes even higher when the two teams meet at the Camp Nou in three weeks time.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Marcelo reflected on what was a frustrating day at the office for the players but also looked ahead at the rest of the campaign.

“We tried all we could, we fought and covered a lot of ground. We had a number of chances but the ball wouldn’t go in. We are upset about this result. We are still top of the league but a win would have been an important step forwards. We didn’t play as we are used to playing, although the reason we failed to win is because the ball wouldn’t go in the net. We gave it our all right until the end,” he said.

“Each match is like a final for us and we’ll be doing whatever needs to be done in order to beat Athletic. We’ll look back on our mistakes from today in order to avoid committing them again. We know that we only depend on ourselves and that we have to work hard to win.”

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