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Playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo has inspired Gareth Bale to work harder to become the best player in the world, the Welshman has said.

The 25-year-old joined Los Blancos from Tottenham Hotspur in a 91-million-euro deal 15 months ago. And he impressed fans and pundits alike in his first season in the Spanish capital, scoring 22 goals along the way and picking up winners medals in both the Champions League and Copa del Rey.

Speaking to BBC’s Football Focus programme, the forward said training alongside Ronaldo has giving him a platform at which to aim for. Ronaldo has amassed 50 goals for his club for the past four seasons and already has 23 to his name this season.

Unsurprisingly, he is favourite to pick up the Ballon d’Or again in January, something Bale believes would be the right choice. And he added that he has eyes on that trophy one day too.

“I’m improving all the time and trying to get to the level Cristiano’s at. “The amount of goals he scores and what he does for the team is incredible. Nobody is living up to that at. At the moment he’s on another level to everyone else,” he stated.

And he went on: “By seeing him in training and in games it gives me that kind of platform to aim for and keep improving, and hopefully one day I can get there. If you don’t want to be the world’s best you probably shouldn’t be playing football.”

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Sergio Ramos

Sergio Ramos has expressed his delight at reaching the 50 goal mark for Real Madrid.

The defender got himself on the scoresheet in the 5-1 win over Rayo Vallecano as Los Blancos cruised to their 13th straight win in all competitions to guarantee top spot in La Liga going into the international break.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Ramos said the most important thing was the three points and the fact the team is playing well every week. But he added that he was proud to reach his personal landmark of 50 goals for the 10-time Champions League winners.

“It was a deserved result. The team played a great match, a complete performance. We can’t win by big margins all the time but it is good to get results like this and rack up such a positive goalscoring streak,” he stated.

Speaking about his goal, he added: “Notching up 50 goals for Real Madrid is a source of great pride on a personal level. It is great to reach this tally and I dedicated it specially to my mother, who has put up with me during the good times and the bad.”

The centre-back also echoed his manager is praising Toni Kroos for another superb performance in midfield that was rewarded with a first goal for Real Madrid.

“He is a footballer I have admired for many years because of the way he plays. Perhaps he doesn’t stand out that much because he plays further back but he is hugely important. It is an honour to have him because he is coming into his prime at the moment and the team is benefitting as a result.”

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Real Madrid are keeping tabs on Colombian defender Eder Balanta, the Argentinian press has reported.

Carlo Ancelotti has only three centre-backs in his squad since Raul Albiol moved to Napoli, although Nacho Fernandez and Alvaro Arbeloa can play that role when required.

Los Blancos might be looking for a man to reinforce that position. A signing would be especially necessary if Pepe was to leave the squad, as some websites have claimed.

The 21-year-old Colombian is one of Florentino Perez’s first options, as revealed by agent Francois Gallardo at Spanish sports show El Chiringuito de Jugones.

Balanta has played his whole career at Argentinian side River Plate, where he arrived in 2011 at 17 years old. He made his professional debut in 2013, and he made a great impression, playing nine games and scoring two goals.

This year he has become an undisputed starter for the Buenos Aires-based club, and his good performances have caught the attention of several European giants, including Barcelona.

The young centre-back has also made five appearances for Colombia’s national team, including one game in Brazil’s World Cup.

Balanta is seen as one of the most promising defenders in South America, and Madrid could be preparing a summer bid to bring him to Europe.

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Alvaro Medran has called his Santiago Bernabeu debut a dream come true after his came off the bench for the final few minutes in Real Madrid’s win over Rayo Vallecano.

With the three points wrapped up, Carlo Ancelotti took off Karim Benzema and put on midfielder Medran in his place, allowing he 20-year-old his first experience of playing in front of the Bernabeu crowd.

Speaking after the game, the youngster said he loved the experience, although his team mates were giving him stick in the dressing room after he fluffed an opportunity to score – something that would have been the icing on the cake.

“Playing in Real Madrid’s stadium is as good as it gets. On top of that, I nearly scored. The team won and hopefully I’ll have the chance to score another day. I was congratulated for making my debut in the Bernabéu dressing room and the lads gave me a bit of stick for not finishing off the chance I had,” he said.

And he continued: “It was a strange feeling. You are playing alongside the best players in the world and you’re trying to break into the squad. You have to make the most of your chances in order to reach your best. Now I’m itching to play with Castilla and, if possible, score”.

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Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has hailed Toni Kroos’ performance following the 5-1 win over Rayo Vallencano on Saturday.

The win, the side’s 13th on the bounce in all competitions, ensured the Champions League holders remain top of La Liga. They have scored a remarkable 52 goals in their last 13 games and look unstoppable at the moment.

Speaking to journalists after the match, the manager said he was pleased once again with the overall performance of the team, but wanted to pick out German midfielder Kroos for his all-action display which was rewarded by a first goal for the club.

“We put in a good performance. We were up against a team that looked to play the ball. We worked hard and played well, which we’ve made a habit of in this period of the season. Kroos was man of the match today and he scored his first goal,” he stated.

And he continued: “I’m surprised by him, he is playing to a very high level. He has the freedom to go forward from time to time and, when he does, Modric covers his position. They’re a very good pairing, they play really well together. I value the defensive work the forwards put in, it’s very important. The team needs everyone to put in a shift. And Bale and Cristiano scoring is nothing new.”

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Real Madrid reinforced their first position in La Liga with a goal fest at the Santiago Bernabeu. Rayo Vallecano fought hard and put the hosts in trouble during the first 50 minutes, but Los Blancos forwards sealed the win.

Carlo Ancelotti men took an early lead with nine minutes on the clock, when Gareth Bale coverted a low cross from Toni Kroos.

The visitors dominated possession in certain stages of the game, but Los Merengues were more dangerous in attack.

Karim Benzema hit the bar with a brilliant header in a corner, and minutes later Sergio Ramos made it 2-0 following another corner from James Rodriguez. The Andalusian volleyed it into the back of the net off his knee.

Just before half-time, Rayo Vallecano got an unexpected goal following a horrible mistake from James. The Colombia international attempted to pass the ball to Keylor Navas, but actually assisted a Rayo player. The keeper was sold and Alberto Bueno finished into the bottom corner.

The visitors threatened Navas at the start of the second half, but Kroos calmed the home crowd nerves with a superb goal. The Germany international guided a sweet strike into the bottom corner to make it 3-1.

Less than five minutes later, Benzema sealed the victory as he turned a Ronaldo cross into the back of the net.

The Portuguese closed the score thanks to a terrible mistake from goalkeeper Cristian Alvarez, who allowed the attacker’s shot to slip under his body.

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Paco Jemez will pay a visit to the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday with Rayo Vallecano, following the controversy regarding his critics to Zinedine Zidane for coaching Real Madrid Castilla without having the required license. However, if Jose Mourinho had not got Jorge Valdano fired a few years ago, it could be Jemez occupying the host’s bench right now rather than the visitors’.

Valdano, who has Florentino Perez’s right hand until the arrival of Mourinho to Madrid, admitted in an interview with Spanish radio program El Larguero that he would have recommended the signing of Jemez if he had continued working at the Santiago Bernabeu. “Real Madrid’s main corporate value is victory, they don’t have a defined football style. I would have recommended a Spanish manager. And I like managers of bottom teams. Paco Herrera had an interesting view, and Paco Jemez had conviction and played a seductive game,” the Argentinian said.

Valdano has never hidden his fondness for Jemez, whose characteristic style is always a sign of identity of the teams he manages: “It’s not necessary to have Pep Guardiola’s elegance, speech or squad. You just need to have the conviction, and Jemez, managing a minor team, has it. I take my hat off to this type of coaches,” Valdano added.

We’ll never know if the Andalusian manager would have been hired as Jose Mourinho’s substitute had Valdano continued at the club.

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Real Madrid take on neighbours Rayo Vallecano this evening at the Santiago Bernabeu looking to to stay top of the table as they head into the international break.

Los Blancos are currently on a 12-match winning run after overcoming a poor start to the campaign. The run has seen the Champions League holders rise to the top of La Liga and qualify for the next stage of the Champions League with two games to go in the group.

Worryingly for the visitors tonight, Carlo Ancelotti’s men aren’t just scraping the wins either – they’ve scored a remarkable 47 goals in their last 12 matches. And with Ronaldo having scored 22 goals in 16 games so far this season, they come up against a man who keeps breaking new barriers.

In team news, Ancelotti may rotate his team a bit. Fit-again Gareth Bale is likely to make his first start since recovering from injury with Isco most likely to drop to the bench. Although not confirmed, the Italian could decide to rest James Rodriguez too.

The visitors, who lost at the Bernabeu 5-0 last season lie 12th in the league with three wins from their first 10 games. Two of those have been on the road, where they seem to play more expressive and free football. In Leo Baptistao, the on-loan Atletico man, they have a man in form, with six goals from nine games. But the defence is a worry and Los Blancos should have too much for them.

Probable Line-Up:
Real Madrid: Casillas, Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo, Kroos, Modric, James, Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema.

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Jese Rodriguez’ injury nightmare is nearing and end after he took part in first team training for the first time in eight months on Friday.

The young forward impressed many in Spain and across Europe last season when he filled in for Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo or Karim Benzema in the front three in the Real Madrid team. He netted five goals and assisted four in 23 appearances in total, and was being tipped for a call up to the Spanish national side for the World Cup in Brazil.

But his season was cut short in March when he picked up a cruciate ligament injury in the second minute of Los Blancos’ Champions League tie with Schalke at the Santiago Bernabeu. He has spent the past eight months working on his recovery away from the squad, mainly in the gym and the swimming pool.

On Friday, he took part in the first 15 minutes of training with the rest of the squad before continuing his fitness work. With a two-week break coming up now for international fixtures, he could be ready for a return against Eibar when the Champions League holders return to action.

Boss Carlo Ancelotti spoke about Jese at his press conference, revealing his is close to a return.

“Jese has begun a new phase of recovery. He will gradually begin to do some technical work but he will start with some non-contact work in his first week,” he stated.

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Angel di Maria

Manchester United midfielder Angel di Maria does not look happy at the club, says Red Devils legend Paul Scholes.

The Argentinean switched from Real Madrid to Old Trafford in the summer following the arrival of James Rodriguez in the Spanish capital. At the time, many Madrid fans were unhappy to see the 26-year-old leave as he was a key part of the team that enjoyed success in the Copa del Rey and Champions League last season.

United have made their worst start to a league campaign since 1986, taking just 13 points from their first 10 games under new boss Louis van Gaal. And Scholes wrote in his column for the Daily Telegraph that di Maria’s mood sums up the overall feeling in the squad at Old Trafford.

He noted that last season he played with a smile on his face and combined well with Cristiano Ronaldo – he provided 17 assists last season. And while he has shown United fans what he can offer in flashes, he doesn’t look the same player.

“My concern is that the mood among the United players feels a bit low-key. Preparing for the broadcast of the game in Madrid this week, I watched reruns of last season and Angel Di Maria smiling broadly as he celebrated goal after goal with Cristiano Ronaldo.

“He doesn’t seem to be in the same happy mood at United. It feels downbeat among the team. All this, and yet the third and fourth places – with respect to the likes of Southampton and West Ham – really are there for the taking,” Scholes wrote.

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