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Real Madrid youngster Alvaro Morata has credited former coach Jose Mourinho for improving his game at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The ‘Special One’ has since left Spain to return to Chelsea but has had a lasting effect on the 20-year-old who played particularly well during Real Madrid’s 2-0 victory over Malaga.

“I want to thank Jose Mourinho,” Morata told Marca, “who drilled it into my head that if you don’t work and toil, you’re like likely to play.”

The Real Madrid Castilla product made his debut for the senior team under Mourinho in 2011, and has gone from strength to strength, marked by his inclusion in the starting-eleven against Los Boquerones.

Morata terrorised the opposition with predatory runs into the box, demonstrating a great deal of hard work that didn’t go unnoticed by the fans.

“The appreciation I get from the people at the club and the fans is incredible. I am truly grateful. I am trying to pay them back with hard work and goals. The work is done and goals will come.” the young striker concluded.

Morata will be looking to earn himself a place in Carlo Ancelotti’s team to face Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Follow Louis Gibberd-Thomas on Twitter: @mercutio156

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Real Madrid have reached an agreement with Borussia Dortmund to bring midfielder Ilkay Gundogan to Santiago Bernabeu next summer, according to Spanish website DefensaCentral.com.

Los Blancos will reportedly pay 20 million euros plus Nuri Sahin’s transfer -the Turkish international is now on loan at the German club. Defensa Central claims Florentino Perez wanted to accelerate the negotiations in order to avoid Manchester United’s interference, as the Red Devils are desperately seeking for a creative central midfielder.

Gundogan would sign a five-year deal. His arrival would force the club let go of one of the current players Los Merengues have as Sami Khedira, Asier Illarramendi, Xabi Alonso, Casemiro and Luka Modric are already on the books.

Given that Alonso’s contract expires on June and there is no news about his renewal, the Basque could have the most options to leave Madrid. Sami Khedira, who has recently shown certain unhappiness, could also seek a move away from the Bernabeu.

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Madrid sports daily Marca highlights today the fact that Real Madrid will have their toughest week since the season started, facing Juventus in the Champions League and Barcelona in La Liga.

“A fantastic week,” they title. “48 hours before starting climbing their particular Everest, Ancelotti’s side shows an improvement,” they claim.

In a reference to that improvement shown against Malaga, Marca points out Los Blancos showed “more football, more intensity, more speed, more shots and more spectacle.”

Meanwhile, As puts their focus on Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon words about Iker Casillas. “It’s weird to see Casillas in the bench,” he said. “He is greater now,” he added.

Buffon also spoke about the clash against Los Merengues: “Spending a lot of money doesn’t mean you’re going to win, you need a good project,” he stated.

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Karim Benzema’s agent has hinted Premier League leaders Arsenal could make a 50 million euro offer for the Real Madrid forward when the transfer window opens again.

Benzema has endured a difficult start the campaign at the Santiago Bernabeu, scoring only four goals in all competitions so far. Some sections of the Los Blancos support have jeered him as they vent their frustration at missed opportunities.

Real are believed to still be on the lookout for a new striker and have been linked with Liverpool forward Luis Suarez, Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Monaco striker Radamel Falcoa. Should they succeed in their attempts to lure any of that trio to the Spanish capital, they path may be clear for Benzema to leave.

And Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is thought to be keen on signing his compatriot as he looks to bolster his strike force in the next transfer window to ensure the club can maintain they good form and compete for silverware at the end of the campaign.

Speaking to French paper Le Sport 10, Francois Gallardo hinted the north London club may be about to strike a deal for Benzema.

“A very important Premier League club is after Karim. This club wants the transfer to happen this winter, but if this is not possible, then next summer at the latest. The offer will be around €50m,” he stated.

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Carlo Ancelotti has said he was happy with the attitude of his team in yesterday’s 2-0 win over Malaga in La Liga.

Los Blancos closed the gap on Barcelona in La Liga to just three points ahead of next week’s Clasico with goals from Angel di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo. And following some criticism of the team over a slow start, Ancelotti spoke afterward about how happy he was to see his players apply themselves in the right way.

While Real carved out plenty of chances, and could have won by a bigger margin but for some heroic stops by visiting goalkeeper Willy Caballero, Ancelotti said the side’s defensive strength was pleasing.

“The match was good, I liked the team’s attitude. We defended well, we were more aggressive and compact and had lots of chances to score. The match was very good. I hope to see the same intensity in the upcoming matches,” he told a press conference after the match.

He added: “We worked more defensively, everyone was focused on defending, we pressed well and recovered possession quickly. That was the difference compared to other matches, we did not give them chances and we were well positioned on the field.”

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Gareth Bale is looking to push on from Real Madrid’s 2-0 victory over Malaga last night.

The world’s most expensive player had just 13 minutes to make an impact for Los Blancos, but he pulled it off when Weligton fouled him in the area, allowing Cristiano Ronaldo to convert the penalty in stoppage time to ensure they took all three points.

Bale has had a tough start to his career in Spain. His lack of pre-season action and muscular injury problems has seen make only four appearances for Real Madrid so far. However the Welshman insists he hasn’t suffered a slipped disc.

“It was just a little thigh strain that was blown massively out of proportion,” the 24 year-old told Real Madrid TV. “It is just a minor injury and I’m back now.”

Real Madrid’s victory over Malaga was made all the sweeter when Osasuna held Barcelona to a goalless draw in Pamplona. For the moment, Carlo Ancelotti’s side will need to focus their attention on the UEFA Champions League, with Italian champions Juventus next to visit the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu this Wednesday.

Once this fixture is out of the way, Real Madrid can begin preparation for the next thrilling instalment of El Clasico. The capital club will be looking to take advantage of Barcelona’s dropped points if they can defeat their rivals. Bale has acknowledged this is his opportunity to present himself to Los Merengues.

“I need to introduce myself now and prepare myself right for the rest of the season,” he commented. “It was massively important to get a win today. We played well throughout the game and we’re now looking forward to the next two games.”

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Madrid sports newspapers emphasize today that Real Madrid had a perfect day in La Liga, beating Malaga 2-0 and cutting Barcelona and Atletico lead thanks to the Azulgranas’ draw at Osasuna and the Colchoneros’ loss at Espanyol.

“An eight point victory,” titles As. “Madrid earned three points while Barcelona dropped two and Atletico dropped three,” the PRISA sports daily reports. As also highlights that Los Blancos left “good sensations against Malaga.”

Marca’s headline is “A new league”. “Real takes off and will arrive to El Clasico reinforced,” they claim. “Ancelotti fulfils his promise and Los Merengues improve their game,” they add.

Both papers highlight Real’s game improvement in their front pages. “The beautiful game finally appeared against Malaga,” Marca states. “Goalkeeper Caballero avoided the avalanche of goals,” As points out.

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Real Madrid winger Angel di Maria said he feels Los Blancos are improving game by game after they dispatched Malaga 2-0 on Saturday afternoon at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Argentinian international opened the scoring just after half time when his intended cross found itself in the back of the net after a misjudgement by visiting keeper Willy Caballero. Cristiano Ronaldo seal the three points with a penalty in stoppage time after substitute Gareth Bale had  been fouled in the area.

Los Blancos are just three points behind Barcelona in La Liga now ahead of the Clasico next week, but face Italian champions Juventus on Wedneday in what is a busy few days for Carlo Ancelotti’s men.

But speaking to the club’s official website, di Maria said he thought the team was improving in every match and are finally settling into a rhythm following some disjointed play at the start of the campaign.

“We played a great match, that’s what the coach wanted. We tried to do everything as well as we could against a team that are in good form. We are doing things well and improving as a team. We are working hard every day and at halftime the coach said he was happy with the job that we were doing and that he knew we could win the game,” Di Maria stated.

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Angel di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo scored the goals that secured a 2-0 win for Real Madrid over Malaga at the start of a big week for Los Blancos.

Going into the match already five points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona and Atletico de Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti’s men could ill afford a slip up at the Santiago Bernbeu just a week before the Clasico at the Nou Camp. Before that, Los Blancos take on Italian champions Juventus in the Champions League too.

Despite wide spread reports Gareth Bale was set for a long spell on the sidelines with a slipped disc, the 91 million euro summer signing was named on the bench for the nine-time European Cup winners. Angel di Maria kept his place in the side, being rewarding for an impressive start to the La Liga season. Isco also started against the side he joined from in a 30 million euro deal in the summer.

The home side came the closest to opening the scoring in the first half, with Ronaldo, who has already scored 12 goals in just 10 games this season, sending in a curling effort inside the first 10 minutes, only for it to come back off the crossbar. The Portugal international was a lively as ever, and had another opportunity to give Los Blancos the lead, but couldn’t connect with an Angel di Maria cross.

Malaga had goalkeeper Willy Caballero to thank for going in level at the break after he made a great save to keep out Alvaro Morata’s effort towards the end of the first half.

The hosts took the lead straight after half-time as Angel di Maria caught Caballero out of position. His cross was intended for Ronaldo but nestled in the back of the net instead, much to the delight of the home crowd. The goal seemed to encourage Los Blancos further, and they continued to carve out some decent openings.

Welshman Bale made his entrance with 15 minutes to go, and played a part in the second goal, winning the penalty that Ronaldo dispatched. Some may conclude Bale was lucky to have won the spot kick, but he showed great pace before being tumbled in the box.

Los Blancos are now just two points off Barcelona and will be hoping the Catalan side slips up at Osasuna later on Saturday evening.

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Real Madrid - Malaga - La Liga 36

Real Madrid are ready to improve their game against Malaga since, in Carlo Ancelotti’s words, they “can’t play worse” than they did in their previous La Liga match against Levante.

The Italian manager will reportedly recover the likes of Gareth Bale, who has undergone a special training to recover from his physical problems during the international matches break. Ancelotti has already revealed the Welshman will play a few minutes against Malaga.

Los Blancos will seek to shorten their disadvangate with Barcelona and Atletico, who lead the table five points ahead of Real. The Azulgrana’s always complicated visit to Osasuna could be of help.

Ancelotti will only miss Xabi Alonso, who is expected to return in a couple of weeks. Raphael Varane could be a doubt, as he has come back from France international clashes with some problems.

The Italian has confirmed he will line-up Asier Illarramendi or Sami Khedira in the centre-half. Meanwhile, the number 9 debate is still open, since Karim Benzema could reportedly have ankle problems and Alvaro Morata could finally have the chance to start a game.

Malaga is having a difficult start to their season, with only two victories in eight matches. Their manager, former Real Madrid player and boss Bernd Schuster, will return to Santiago Bernabeu to face a difficult challenge.

The German could miss Argentinian centre-back Marcos Angeleri, who played the last two league games with a fractured toe. Portuguese defender Flavio Ferreira is also a doubt. However, Schuster will recover Weligton Robson, who hasn’t played a single minute yet this season due to a clavicle injury.

The clash will be special for Madrid’s playmaker Isco, who will face his former team from the first time since he moved on summer to Bernabeu.

Possible line-ups:

Real Madrid: Lopez; Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Khedira, Modric; Di Maria, Isco, Ronaldo; Benzema.

Malaga: Caballero; Gamez, Sanchez, Weligton, Antunes; Darder, Tissone; Portillo, Morales, Eliseu; Santa Cruz.

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