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Premier League champions are ready to take full advantage of contract uncertainty between Real Madrid and their star defender Sergio Ramos in order to bring him to England.

Spanish television channel La Sexta are reporting that the Citizens are ready to offer the World Cup winning defender €10m to move to the Etihad stadium, two million euros more than he is on at the Bernabeu.

Ramos is reportedly more happy to stay at Real Madrid than move to The Etihad; however the wages City are offering would see Real have to change their wage system in order to keep Ramos, so could cause potential problems.

Ramos is on €8m which is the same amount roughly as Iker Casillas and Karim Benzema, and €3m less than second highest earner Gareth Bale, whose €11m salary is almost half of Cristiano Ronaldo’s incredible €20m salary at the Bernabeu.

It should be remembered however that Manchester City’s wage bill is under constant scrutiny from UEFA Financial Fair Play, and therefore any significant investment in Ramos would definitely see departures, which may play into Real’s hands with regards to any interest in City star Sergio Aguero, who has been linked to Los Blancos in the past.

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Sergio Ramos says he and his Real Madrid team mates still have work to do on defending set pieces after conceding another in the game against Ludogorets.

Los Blancos had to come from behind to beat the Bulgarian side, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema getting the goals in the 2-1 win.

And after stating he was happy with the win and the three points that keeps Real top of their group, Ramos said there was still plenty of work to do in defence.

“It wasn’t one of our best games, but the Champions League is difficult and every team makes life difficult for you, even if it doesn’t have as big a name as others. We come away from tonight happy at picking up the three points,” he said.

And he added: “It isn’t a problem of relaxation and nobody makes mistakes on purpose. We have to keep on working and improving.”

The experienced defender again had words of praise for Iker Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo, who played key roles in securing with win.

“There are no words. Iker is a really great goalkeeper, the captain, and it doesn’t surprise me that he makes great saves because he has made them every year. As for Cristiano, I don’t think the comments from the stands affect him,” he stated.

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Cristiano Ronaldo has said Real Madrid did not play at their best against Ludogorets but they are happy with the win.

After going behind early on in Bulgaria, Los Blancos scored through a Ronaldo penalty before they secured the win thanks to Karim Benzema’s finish. It means the holders of the Champions League top the group with a maximum six points after two matches.

Speaking to reporters after the game, the 29-year-old said the team can play a lot better but in the early stages of the competition the most important thing is to win and build up momentum.

“It wasn’t a brilliant match but the most important thing is the three points. I’m very happy because, although the team did not put on a great performance, we won the match and I scored another goal. It’s important to keep on scoring,” he said.

The forward also had words of praise once more for Iker Casillas, who made some key saves to secure the three points for the side.

“We didn’t play pretty football, but the aim was to win. Casillas always plays to a very high level and, as for the shouts from the stands, it’s not for me to comment on because it’s not something that affects me,” he said.

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Karim Benzema came to Real Madrid’s rescue in a difficult math for Los Merengues, who had to come from behind at Bulgaria, against Ludogorets.

The Frenchman came in from the bench to score a goal that puts Real atop group B after having won their first two games in the Champions League.

The hosts took a surprising 0-1 lead after just seven minutes of play. Los Blancos made another mistake defending a corner kick. The cross was flicked on by Cosmin Moti and Marcelinho headed it home into an empty net at the back post.

Madrid were surprised by the intensity of the Bulgarians, who dominated the first minutes. Los Merengues seemed desperate, especially after Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty kick before the 15 minute mark.

However, the Portuguese would redeem himself ten minutes later. The referee made a doubtful penalty call and Ronaldo made no mistake this time, firing a shot to the bottom corner.

Chicharito Hernandez missed to clear chances to put the visitors ahead before half-time. He sent a header straight to Vladislav Stoyanov after brilliant play from Marcelo, and minutes later he swept a shot across goal that seemed to be heading in, but bend wide of the post.

The Mexican also had a great chance in the second half, after a superb counter-attack from Los Merengues. However, he failed to direct it on goal.

Ludogorets were threatening Iker Casillas with long-range shots, but Real efforts were more dangerous. Aleksandar Aleksandrov made a goal-line clearance when Ronaldo was celebrating his second goal.

After almost 80 minutes of suffering, Benzema netted the winner off a brilliant cross from Marcelo, and the Madridistas were relieved.

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Ludogorets Real Madrid Preview

Real Madrid take on Bulgarian champions Ludogorets hoping to extend their excellent recent run.

Los Blancos have recorded four consecutive wins scoring 20 goals and travel to Bulgaria confident of getting another goal fest.

A few players who usually sit on the bench could have a chance to get minutes of play, as Carlo Ancelotti is expected to line-up Isco, Chicharito and Asier Illarramendi against the Razgrad-based side.

James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos could get some rest after an exhausting start of the season.

Los Merengues boss will recover Pepe, who returns to the squad after suffering a muscle injury, but it seems very unlikely that he will feature from the start. Youngster Alvaro Medran is also included. Fabio Coentrao, Sami Khedira and Jese Rodriguez remain on the sidelines.

Real will seek to consolidate their first position atop group B, after having trashed Basel 5-1 in the first game.

However, Ludogorets could put them in trouble, as they did with Liverpool two weeks ago. The Bulgarians showed their defensive grit at Anfield Road and were close to savaging a point.

Playing their first home game, they will be ready to try and record a shock in probably the biggest match in their short history.

Possible line-ups:

Ludogorets: Gospodinov; Caicara, Aleksandrov, Moti, Minev; Aleksandrov, Dyakov, Adriananteina, Misidjan; Bezjak, Marcelinho.

Real Madrid: Casillas; Arbeloa, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Modric, Illarramendi, Isco; Bale, Chicharito, Ronaldo.

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Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has said he wants his side to carry on their good form this evening as Los Blancos take on Ludogorets in the Champions League.

The current holders beat Swiss outfit Basel in their first match at the Santiago Bernabeu and head to Bulgaria to take on the little known side who are making their first appearance in the competition.

With fixtures to come still against Liverpool, who knocked Real Madrid out of the the tournament in 2009, Ancelotti said he wants his team to pick up maximum points tonight and keep on top of the group and on course for the knock-out stages.

He told journalists at his press conference: “We’re out to win the match to stay on course and stay top of the group. That’s the chief objective. In this competition, there are no modest teams. There are teams who fight to achieve the maximum. We all know how difficult it is to play at Anfield and I was surprised by the courage that Ludogorets showed there.”

The Italians also revealed he wasn’t planning on making major rotations for the game.

“I’m not thinking about planned rotations. If I see in today’s training session that any of those who played on Saturday are not available, I’ll rest them. Pepe is available to play but we’ll see whether I rest the central defenders. Only Coentrão, Jesé and Khedira are out. We have to monitor the level of recovery that they have made during these days,” he stated.

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Ludogorets boss Georgi Dermendzhiev has said his side is not afraid to take on Real Madrid tonight.

The little known Bulgarian team take on the 10-time European Cup winners in the second group game. It is the club’s first ever appearance in the competiton, and they narrowly lost to Liverpool at Anfield two weeks ago.

Dermendzhiev said his team would go into the game respectful of their more illustrious opponents, but told reporters he wanted his players to not be overawed by the occasion.

Speaking at his press conference, the Ludogorets boss said: “Real Madrid are a galactic team, the best in the world, and we’re going out to enjoy it and play good football.

And he added: “It’s an honour to play against them as we’ve only been up there with the elite for the last four years, so it’s fantastic. However, we are not afraid of them. They’ve won 10 European Cups, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo cost €100m each, but there is no fear. They are an amazing team but we’ll go out and play our own game because when we are focused we can beat anyone.”

“We must concentrate at all times without worrying about the opposition,” he explained.

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Former Real Madrid left back Roberto Carlos has said boss Carlo Ancelotti can guide the club to their 11th Champions League trophy this season.

The Italian lead Los Blancos to glory in the competition in May, guiding his team to a 4-1 win over Atletico de Madrid in Lisbon. The win ended a 12-year wait for the clubs 10th European crown, the Decima as it is known in Spain.

Ancelotti came under fire in the summer and the early part of the campaign for the sales of Xabi Alonso and Angel di Maria. Despite bringing in Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez, many pundits said the team had lost their balance, and a slow start in La Liga did not help quieten the critics.

But Roberto Carlos said they key is to be patient with the team, but with Ancelotti at the helm, they will go on and achieve more success.

“Ancelotti is a top-class coach and he will find the balance. He did it last year and I’m sure that, like last season, he’ll get Madrid to where he wants,” the former Brazil full-back told AS.

“When a new season starts there are always things to adjust to, but I’m not worried. I respect Ancelotti a lot. With him, Madrid are a stronger team and will have a lot of success. Hopefully they can repeat the feats of last season and win the Undecima.”

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Former Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata has said he had to leave the club this summer because his path to first team football at the Santiago Bernabeu was always blocked.

In a wide ranging interview with ‘Al Primer Toque’ on Onda Cero, the young striker said he left for Juventus this summer for the chance to improve as a player at one of the biggest clubs in Europe.

The 22-year-old made an 18-million-euro switch to Turin in July after falling down the pecking order in the Spanish capital. With Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Karim Benzema ahead of him, it was a pretty tough challenge, but last season he even fell behind Jese Rodriguez.

Talking about his reasons for leaving the club, Morata said: “There were many things. I was looking for a team where I could play an important role and where the boss would have confidence in me. For the last couple of years, I’d been in a situation were there were always five or six players ahead of me.”

The striker said the move to Italy had been a positive one so far and he has settled in quickly.

“I’m lucky because the city I live in now is similar to Spain. The people are very welcoming, the language is easy and the food is similar.”

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Former Real Madrid player, manager and director Jorge Valdano has said Cristiano Ronaldo can stay at the top of the game for many years to come.

The Portugal forward has started the campaign in sensational form and has scored eight goals in his last three La Liga outings.

His form for Real since he arrived in the Spanish capital in 2009 has been nothing short of exceptional and he has scored 50 club goals or more each season for the last four years.

With the forward turning 30 in February, there will be thoughts about the player entering the latter stages of his career. But Valdano said Ronaldo can stay at the top for years to come.

Talking to Marca, he said: “Normally, age starts playing a role in football as you get older. But Ronaldo is exceptional on all counts, including this.

“Cristiano is a tremendous player. He is always looking for perfection and is incredibly ambitious, which only spurs on his teammates. This is worth a lot, just like all his goals.

“I think Ronaldo is the only player in the world who could play in each position in attack and be dominant regardless of where he plays. The shortest distance between two points is the distance between Ronaldo and the goal.”

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