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New Real Madrid signing Lucas Silva has admitted his debut for the club was magical and the memories will stay with him forever.

The 22-year-old arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu last month from Brazilian club Cruziero for a reported 14 million euros and played the final 19 minutes of Los Blancos’ 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.

The win got Madrid back on track following a disastrous derby last weekend. And speaking to the media after the match Silva said he was delighted with events.

“I’m very happy, very content.  This is a dream come true.  I’m going to remember this very fondly.  The first pass, making connecting with the players on the pitch…It felt very good to feel the applause from the crowd,” he said.

And he added: “We knew this would be a difficult game.  We scored a goal and we felt the pressure.  We tried to control the game and we could’ve scored a second, which we did in the end.  It’s a great feeling to be around all these great players.  Everything in my life is happening very quickly.  My first steps in Real Madrid have been very good.  They gave be a lot of confidence on the pitch and I know I have to appreciate and respond with my good play.”

 

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Real Madrid midfielder Isco has said the players feel a greater sense of togetherness after suffering the humiliation last weekend against Atletcio de Madrid and are determined to put things right.

Los Blancos responded to that defeat with a 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, with Isco grabbing the opening goal. Frenchman Karim Benzema scored the second although the performance itself was not one of Madrid’s finest this season.

Speaking to the club’s official TV channel after the game, Isco said it was important to pick up the three points. He also said the players were hurting after the events at the Vicente Calderon and all the players felt more determined than ever to put things right.

“It was a difficult match after the heavy defeat last week. What’s great about this team is that it’s able to pick itself up from the tough situations. The togetherness in the dressing room is terrific. I think that having been brought down to earth is going to do us good and now we’re going to move forward, all in it together,” he commented.

The Spain international also went on to thank the Madridista support. “The crowd always sing for me and I try to earn that on the pitch, working hard, fighting, and I’m grateful to them. They help me a lot. Now we have to go to Germany, to a difficult ground, but we’re Real Madrid and we go for it. This week will be important for what’s ahead.”

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Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira says he has not signed pre-contract agreement with any club and that his future is still up in the air.

The World Cup winner is into the final four months of his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu now and has long been linked with a move away from Los Blancos. It was widely believed that he would head to the Premier League last summer, with Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City all interested in him.

But last month, it was reported the 27-year-old had agreed a deal to move to Bayern Munich on a free transfer at the end of the campaign.

Speaking to German paper Bild, Khedira said his future is still unclear as no decision has been made yet.

“It’s not true that I’ve already got an agreement with a Bundesliga club. My future is yet to be decided and I’m keeping my options open at this point.”

Khedira also spoke about the controversial party held by Cristiano Ronaldo to celebrate his 30th birthday. Many Real players, including Khedira, were seen at a club in Madrid just hours after being thrashed by Atletico last weekend.

“If Cristiano invited me, I think it’s a matter of respect to turn up. And truthfully, it was not a party. It was just dinner. I didn’t drink any alcohol at any point and I left go to home at 1.30am.”

 

 

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Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has said he was happy to help the team pick up three points over Deportivo La Coruna after the disastrous derby last weekend.

Los Blancos responded to the 4-0 loss at the Vicente Calderon by seeing off Depor 2-0 on Saturday evening, with Isco and Karim Benzema scoring the goals that got Real back on track in La Liga.

While the result was positive, the Champions League holders were not convincing and some of the players including Iker Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo were jeered by the home support.

Speaking after the game though, Bale said the most important thing was to win and start rebuilding some confidence.

“It was a very positive reaction from the whole team after last week’s defeat [to Atletico Madrid]. The three points are important and we remain [League] leaders,” the former Tottenham star stated.

“I’m happy with my performance, although I didn’t score. I always like scoring goals, but the most important thing was that the team got over the loss of the last game.”

He then went on to discuss the upcoming match against Schalke, and admitted the players are determined to try and put the tie beyond doubt in the first leg.

“It’s good to be back in the Champions League. We’ve all been looking forward to it since our last match. We want to win, mark our return with a good result and take control of the tie.”

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Real Madrid fans jeered several players at Los Blancos 2-0 victory against Deportivo de La Coruna and Carlo Ancelotti said at the press conference “this is something normal after a 4-0 loss in a derby.”

“It is frustrating to lose 4-0 in a derby against Atletico Madrid, but the fans have always been supportive, even in difficult moments, and players are thankful for that,” Ancelotti added.

The jeers were mostly directed to Iker Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo. Asked about the goalkeeper, Carletto was conciliatory: “I respect the fans when they jeer, but after his great game he turned the booing into applause.”

The Italian manager admitted his team “played only partly well.” “It’s been a difficult and complicated week and I believe we have earned a good victory to get back on track. We struggled at the start, but in the end we succeeded,” he explained.

Asked about the poor performance of the midfielders, Ancelotti confessed they “made a mistake, because the three midfielders played too close to each other and we have struggled in transitions.”

Ancelotti also commented on Lucas Silva’s official debut for Los Blancos: “He’s improving his fitness and I think he’s ready to become a starter. We’ll see on Wednesday in the Champions League.”

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Karim Benzema

Real Madrid secured the top spot in La Liga despite their not wholly convincing performance against Deportivo de La Coruna. The Galicians played a great game, but the quality of Los Blancos attackers made the difference.

Goals from Isco and Karim Benzema saw Carlo Ancelotti men get back to winning ways after their painful defeat at the Vicente Calderon against Atletico Madrid.

The visitors looked dangerous at the start and were close to taking the lead. Iker Casillas denied Isaac Cuenca’s powerful strike from short-range and another effort from Lucas Perez deflected off a defender.

Los Blancos showed defensive weakness, but their attackers were in better shape. The hosts responded to Depor’s early chances with two shots off the bar. Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale were close to scoring from mid-range, but their efforts hit the bar.

Isco was Los Merengues best player by far, and he opened the score in the 23rd minute. Benzema headed a Bale cross to Ronaldo but the Portuguese missed the ball. Alvaro Arbeloa caught it on the goal-line and sent it back to Isco, who curled a precise shot into the bottom corner.

Despite the goal, Deportivo kept battling and making Real feel uncomfortable. Yet Los Blancos threatened Fabricio in every counter-attack with Bale’s speed as their main weapon.

Victor Fernandez men had their best chance at the beginning for the second half, as Celso Borges caught a loose ball and fired it towards goal, but it hit the upright.

Depor’s midfielders looked fresher and Madrid struggled to control the possession. Yet Benzema made it 2-0 dinking the ball over the keeper after receiving an assist from Ronaldo.

Lucas Silva made his debut with 20 minutes to go, replacing Asier Illarramendi. In the last minutes, Ronaldo had a great chance to make it 3-0 but his shot went wide of the post.

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Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has said he has no issue with the much publicised birthday party for Cristiano Ronaldo last weekend.

A number of the Los Blancos players were seen out at an exclusive night club celebrating the forward’s 30th birthday just hours after the humiliating loss to city rivals Atletico de Madrid that blew the race for La Liga wide open.

Speaking to the press about the party, Ancelotti said he had no issue with it and that he doesn’t pry in the players’ personal lives. He added that all of his players are very professional and represent the club well.

“For me, [Cristiano’s birthday] isn’t an issue. I’ve never assessed the privacy of the players and I’m not going to start today. The problem is that some people think that [off-field antics] affect the professionalism of the players, but they’ve demonstrated their professionalism and showed great commitment,” he said.

He went on to say that the players were all down following the result at the Vicente Calderon and were frustrated, but they they have responded well in training this week.

“Everyone was frustrated. It’s been a week of frustration but also motivation for the players. The team have responded well in training and I hope to see a reaction.”

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It is said after the storm always comes the calm. After Real Madrid’s tough defeat at the derby against Atletico Madrid, there is no doubt Los Blancos are in desperate need of calm. Carlo Ancelotti knows how to achieve it, since he has never lost any match following a 4-0 loss.

Prior to the Vicente Calderon disaster, the Italian manager had only lost 4-0 in three occasions: two with AC Milan and one with Juventus. The first time it happened to him, it was in his years at the Turin side and also in Spanish territory. It was on March 9th 2000, when his team lost 4-0 to Celta de Vigo and was knocked out of the UEFA Cup. However, Ancelotti managed to cheer his players up and Juve beat Piacenza 0-2 in their next match.

Ancelotti’s second 4-0 defeat happened while he was coaching Milan. Curiously, it was also in the UEFA Cup, more concretely in the first leg of the 2002 semifinals, when Borussia Dortmund thrashed the Italians. After that loss, the Rossoneri earned a 1-1 draw against Chievo Verona in the Italian league. However, the prove that Ancelotti was able to motivate his players after such a painful defeat came in the second leg of the semifinals. They lead 3-0 in San Siro, but the Germans ended up qualifying despite a 3-1 loss.

Oddly enough, the last time Ancelotti lost 4-0 his rival was Deportivo de La Coruna, who Los Blancos face this weekend. The Galician side beat Milan in 2004 in the quarter finals of the Champions League. In the following game, the Italians got a 1-0 victory against Empoli that almost secured the Serie A title for them.

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Real Madrid Deportivo la Coruna preview

Real Madrid host Deportivo de La Coruna in desperate need of a win after seeing their lead in La Liga reduced to one point. The painful 4-0 defeat against arch-rivals Atletico Madrid has seriously hurt Los Blancos, who are willing to prove there is no crisis at the club.

Once again, Carlo Ancelotti will have a tough job in selecting his 11 starters since six players remain on the sidelines due to injury. Fabio Coentrao, Sami Khedira, Sergio Ramos, James Rodriguez and Luka Modric will surely miss the game, while Pepe is a doubt having only completed one regular training session since his recovery.

Thus, Raphael Varane and Nacho Fernandez will most likely repeat as the centre-back pair, despite their poor performance against Atletico. Marcelo will return to the left-back after his one-match suspension and Alvaro Arbeloa could replace Daniel Carvajal at right-back.

Ancelotti has confirmed Asier Illarramendi will replace Khedira, although it seemed like Lucas Silva could get his first chance as a starter. There were also rumours of a possible change on goal after Iker Casillas mistake in Atletico’s first goal, but the Italian manager has revealed Keylor Navas will stay on the bench.

Los Merengues face one of the teams in better shape of the competition. They have only lost one game in 2015 and they have won their last two against Eibar and Rayo Vallecano.

Victor Fernandez will miss Sidnei, Luis Farina, Salomao and Helder Postiga due to injury. Pablo Insua is suspended and Jose Rodriguez, who is on loan from Los Blancos, will miss the match due to a clause in his loan contract.

Possible line-ups:

Real Madrid: Casillas; Arbeloa, Varane, Nacho, Marcelo; Bale, Illarramendi, Kroos, Isco; Benzema, Ronaldo.

Deportivo de La Coruna: Fabricio; Laure, Lopo, Borja Lopez, Luisinho; Juanfran, Bergantinos, Borges, Cuenca; Riera, Cavaleiro.

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Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema says he is not an actor on the football field and what you see is what you get.

The Frenchman has sometimes been criticised for being lazy or disinterested, but the forward says all he is interested in is working hard and being himself.

He also said in an interview with Surface Magazine that he’s not interested in creating a persona so he can take advantage of the sponsorship deals and money on offer away from the game. The likes of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo have been hugely successful at creating their own brands and making millions away from the pitch.

“I’m not an actor. I’m not in the game to look good for the cameras. There are others who do that in life but I like to laugh and I get along with everyone. When people see me on the street – whether they are old, young, women or children – everyone shows me affection,” he said.

He also went on to discuss the 4-0 derby defeat last weekend and took responsibility for his part in the disaster. He said, though, that he only listens to criticism from those who have played the game at the highest level.

“I will take criticism seriously from those who have played the game at the highest level. But if it comes from someone who has never played the game then I don’t take it seriously. All that matters in my position is scoring goals. Up front, if you are lazy then people notice – you have to score goals.”

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