Real Madrid

[Rasputin]

[Rasputin]

Real rain down on Barcelona

Real Madrid gained revenge for their humiliation 12 months ago when they beat bitter rivals Barcelona 2-0 in a match played in torrential rain.

All the talk in the Spanish capital since Barca won 3-0 in the Santiago Bernabeu last season has been of showing that Real are not now permanently inferior to the European champions and they proved their point.

"This is a total change of image. I spoke to the team for a long time after last week's defeat at Getafe," said Real coach Fabio Capello.

"We knew that we had to take this match seriously. We were playing the European champions not a third division side.

"The first 20 minutes we played very well, very dangerous, but they could have still come back and equalised. However, in the second half we were much better than them."

The 29-time Spanish champions opened up the Spanish title race with goals from club captain Raul Gonzalez and Ruud Van Nistelrooy and were by far the better side.

The loss means that Barcelona remain top with 16 points from seven games but only on goal difference from Valencia.

Real, who still have the best defensive record in La Liga, climbed up to fourth place with just two points covering the top five clubs in the first division.

"This game we concentrated hard. It's a long season ahead but to beat the Spanish champions and the European champions in this fashion will be a great boost to our confidence," said Real's Brazilian left back Roberto Carlos.

The hosts took only two minutes to open the scoring when captain Raul Gonzalez was left unmarked to head in front from the edge of the six yard box.

It was a relatively easy task for Raul to score after the hard work had been done by Sergio Ramos, whose swift sprint down the right wing caught Barcelona on the hop.

Raul almost had a second goal after 14 minutes when his left foot shot, after Robinho had danced past several Barca defenders, evaded goalkeeper Victor Valdes only to for the ball to crash against the crossbar.

Barcelona squandered a good chance to equalise after 25 minutes when Eidur Gudjohnsen had a clear shot on goal.

Wonderful work down the right wing by Lionel Messi set up the opportunity but the Icelandic striker could only sidefoot the ball wide of the target.

The Catalan club came back into the game in the final 10 minutes and had Real briefly rattled at the start of the second half.

However, a counter-attack from Robinho on 51 minutes found Van Nistlerooy free in the box and the Dutchman deftly put a left foot volley past Valdes.

Van Nistelrooy nearly got his second goal just a minute later when his chip hit the post.

Real continued to press and the unflagging Robinho, many pundit's nomination for the man of the match, had two more good efforts on goal.

Barcelona's best effort was a curling free kick by Ronaldinho three minutes from the end, which required a save at full stretch by Casillas, but the statistics told the story of Barcelona's demise.

Only two of their 11 shots were on target and clearly they are missing Samuel Eto'o, last season's top scorer in the Spanish first division, who will be out with an injury until the start of next year.

"I'm disappointed but not worried. They are three points closer now to Barcelona and psychologically that is important," said Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard.

"But from the first day I said that Real were going to be competitive. It's always possible to lose games like this because this is a league with many teams that are close together, like Valencia and Sevilla as well."

Former England captain David Beckham came off the bench eight minutes from the whistle for Real, replacing Jose Maria Gutierrez, but within three minutes had been booked for kicking the ball away.

Beckham was quoted in British newspapers on Sunday as saying that he was very frustrated with his role as bench-warmer at Real.

[Rasputin]

The hunger of Madrid devours the touch of the Barça

Real Madrid returned by its fueros. And it could not choose better day than before his eternal rival: Barcelona. Those of Capello removed the maximum yield to their virtues (defensive and stuck work) and could make goals a unknown leader. Raul and Van Nistelrooy sealed with their goals the shining white triumph, but both could extend their goleadora production of not running into with woods. In the Barcelona, that only had minutes of the good soccer in the first part, it emphasized the figure of Messi, that put the heart in a fist to the white liking, but did not make specific his constants successfully slaloms.


The encounter soon was put of face for those of Capello. An enormous center of Sergio Branches from the right put in the square of Valdés Raul with a splendid blow on the head. The Bernabéu came down with first golazo of its equipment. Madrid signed the dreamed beginning, but it was not satisfied and their gladiators merendaron themselves literally to Barcelona. Rijkaard, that had gambled it having put a tridente of jugones in medular (Deco, Iniesta and Xavi) without the support of a escudero like Márquez, Motta or Edmilson, saw how its exposition came down before the greater desire of the madridistas, which they destroyed his technical framework with pressure and when there was no more remedy, with lack.


Ronaldinho did not enter game, Xavi and Iniesta were missing and Deco was lost in you happen erroneous. Only Messi offered certain resistance to a Madrid that of the hand of Guti and Robinho the champion of Europe surpassed with comfort. And with this panorama the targets could ` matar' the party. The Brazilian went of Zambrotta and he put in tray the second to him to Raul, who hooked the closing well, but he starred it in the stringer. Minutes later canarinho tried it in semifailure and forced Valdés to fly to avoid as much. The unconditional ones of the Bernabéu did not give credit which they were seeing and the hands were broken applauding. Nor incessant rain appeased the white euphoria.





Messi directs the best azulgranas moments

Another one against of Robinho left to by hand Go Nistelrooy in a hand with Valdés, that saved perfectly without committing penalti. Madrid was a gale that, suddenly, disappeared. Nobody imagined it, but then the figure arose from Messi, that balanced forces and it gave the return him to the situation. First Carlos went of Robert and Cannavaro within the area and put in tray the tie to him to Gudjohnsen, that shot outside incomprehensibly. Soon he received happens within the area of Iniesta, but the Argentinean sent it clearing the stringer. Later, he made a wall with Ronaldinho, that gave back the head ball to him, one stood trastabillado before Squares, to which he snatched the ball, but only could give it to Deco so that he sent it to clouds. Madrid had recoiled and the tie seemed safe.


Nevertheless, it did not arrive. The targets resisted as they could until the rest. Not even a lack sent by Ronaldinho grazing the crosspiece altered that situation. And that rest was repairer for those of Capello, since they returned from clothes arranged to finish off the task and they obtained it. They go Nistelrooy could both do it to minutes of the renewal, but one ran into with Valdés. It would not fail minutes in one later against magnificently removed by Guti, that did not hurry, turned on itself and occurred it to Robinho that entered by the freeway that existed in the right band and it put a gift to him to the Dutch that it took advantage of the bad exit of Valdés to mark empty door. The targets put 2-0 and ended the Barça, that seemed to surrender ahead with long time.





They go Nistelrooy caressed golazo of the year
They go Nistelrooy one was very to taste and it could obtain golazo of the season itching from the frontal a ball that repelled the crosspiece of Valdés. The stage was like crazy person, enjoyed each touch and saw like Barcelona, orphan of Ronaldinho, sank on the feet of its equipment. Again the Dutch could do third in another one happens of Guti that the forward starred against the body of Valdés. What partidazo the one of Gutiérrez, that calls with force to the door of Luis.


Real Madrid, with the sentenced encounter, was let be looking for one against that the encounter ended definitively. Rijkaard made changes without success, but it was clear that Saviola can contribute much more that Gudjohnsen, since in the few minutes that were understood rather better with Messi and took danger much more. The Dutch technician did not dare to seat to Ronaldinho, missing in most of phases of the encounter, and in the end he ended up slowing down the game of his equipment and harming it more than another thing. From it the Madrid benefitted, that demonstrated that when exists desire to win, to bite and is hunger of triumphs can be replaced the deficiencies and be won to a set that felt superior. That, and a tremendous one beaten in spite of the absence of Ronaldo.

[Rasputin]

Real Madrid 2

1-0. Min. 3, Raul
2-0. Min. 51. Nistelrooy

Barcelona 0


Alignments

2. Real Madrid: Iker Squares; Sergio Branches, Cannavaro, Helguera, Robert Carlos; Emerson, Diarra; Guti (Beckham, min.81), Robinho, Raul; and Kings Go Nistelrooy (, min. 79).

0. FC Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Zambrotta, Puyol, Thuram, Sylvinho; Xavi, Iniesta, Deco (Giuly, min.55), Ronaldinho; Messi and Gudjohnsen (Saviola, min.66).

Referee
Perez Burrull. He admonished to Emerson (20 '), Go Nistelrooy (55 '), Guti (69 '), Beckham (85 '), of Real Madrid and to Zambrotta (53 '), Ronaldinho (81 '), of Barcelona.

Incidences
78,000 spectators filled the stage Santiago Bernabéu. Rainy night.

[Rasputin]

Capello hails spirited Real Madrid, Rijkaard not upset

Real Madrid boss Fabio Capello hailed the 'spirit and quality' of his players following their 2-0 win over Spanish champions Barcelona in the local 'classico' on Sunday.

"This team is now playing like a team, it has both spirit and quality," the Italian manager told a press conference after the game.

Real skipper Raul and Ruud van Nistelrooy scored a goal each to end Barcelona's unbeaten run in the league.

Los Meringues had lost their last league match against Getafe and Capello believes it might have done the trick for his team.

"We had a serious talk following the Getafe defeat and after that there was a complete change in the team. I'm sure the turning point came after that discussion."

The win moved Real Madrid into 4th place on 14 points, two points adrift of leaders Barcelona and Valencia.

"These are three important points, bring us closer to Barcelona and are a major psychological boost for the players," added the Italian tactician.

Meanwhile, Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard remained calm over his team’s prospects despite the defeat and disappointing performance of the European champions.

"We've lost a game but we've not lost the league," said Rijkaard after the game.

"We lost a game 2-0 at a difficult ground and we have to accept it but it doesn't mean we will lose sight of our final objective.

The defeat is the second for Barcelona in less than a week after losing to Chelsea 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

"We have to learn from this, be self-critical and regain our confidence with hard work.

"I'm not upset but I am disappointed because of the defeat. We fought hard but we couldn't take our chances and they did," added the Dutchman.

[Dariush]

siamak bazi ro az nazdik didi?

[Rasputin]

siamak bazi ro az nazdik didi?

Emsal nah moteasefaneh ! Paris boudam ! Next week miram bebinam bazi ro R Madrid - Steaua Bucarest !

[Rasputin]

TV audience ratings shoot through the roof with the Madrid-Barça match-up

The game was broadcasted live in Canal+ and was viewed by 60% of the private cable's subscribers for a grand total potential audience of 4.5 million Spanish viewers.





The Real Madrid-Barcelona Clasico played on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium was the record-setting TV ratings programme in the history of Spanish digital TV and stands as a spectacular ending to all the special programming that the private channel had scheduled to celebrate their 2-million viewer mark.
Exclusively broadcasted in Digital+ (Canal+), the Clasico was tuned in by 1,426,000 homes according to the data collected by Spanish TV ratings specialist, Sofres. These numbers are proof that around 60% of the digital platform's clients saw the game live, for a potential audience of 4,547,200 viewers -that's 3.2 people per home according to industry surveys. Moreover, the Sunday Clasico set a new record for Canal+, with a 16.8% share, making Canal+ the second most viewed channel, including cable and public TV, among subscribers.



This said, the match would have obtained an 8.4% share of the comprehensive TV programming offer -including public, private, cable, satellite- which is also a prime-time record for Digital+ since its launch. The cable plataform attracts 12.1% of the male audience in the 20:30 to 00:00 time slot. The ratings "golden minute" of the match was at 22:42 (9.6% share or 1,677,000 tuned homes, always according to data by Sofres).

Meanwhile, Canal+ has hired the services of market research firm IPSOS to carry our a coincidental study that may allow them to further their information and data about the audience of the Clasico as they foresee that it could have been much higher.

[Rasputin]

Cover story of UEFA's magazine

As every week, uefa.com publish their magazine. This last number's cover story features two Madridistas: David Beckham, who made his 100th appearance in the Champions League against Steaua Bucharest, and Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who scored his 50th goal in the aforementioned competition. At Realmadrid.com, we have decided to reproduce the entire article of the magazine for your enjoyment.





It was a mark of the quality of the goal that opposition fans stood to applaud. Having been dazzled by Real Madrid CF as a team on their first visit to the Steaua Stadium, Ruud van Nistelrooy gave the 25,000 crowd a moment of individual brilliance to remember the occasion. Shielding the ball under pressure from Dorin Goian after being played in on the right side of area, the Dutchman chipped delicately over the advancing goalkeeper. Carlos Fernandes, lobbed like a tennis player at the net, looked on in anguish as the ball looped high above him before dropping down just over the line.
Surprise
Fittingly, the spectacular strike was Van Nistelrooy's 50th goal in the competition. After scoring nine times for PSV Eindhoven and 38 more for Manchester United FC, the 30-year-old's third European goal since joining Madrid in the summer took him past club legend Alfredo Di Stéfano in the all-time European Champion Clubs' Cup scoring list. Now only Andriy Shevchenko, on 52, and leader Raúl González, on 54, have scored more. "I saw a space behind their defence and I made a run," Van Nistelrooy told uefa.com. "[Mahamadou] Diarra played me in. I had the ball in the box and I saw from the corner of my eye that the goalkeeper was coming out of his goal, which was a bit of a surprise to me. All of a sudden I lifted it over him. It was a reaction to his movement out of the goal."



Beckham milestone
That 76th-minute goal was the second Madrid milestone of the night, the first coming five minutes earlier when David Beckham replaced Guti to make his 100th appearance in the UEFA Champions League. The pair know each other well from their time at Manchester United, and Beckham anticipated his team-mate's shot. "I knew he was going to do that," Beckham told uefa.com. "I've seen him do that so many times. I saw him look at the goalkeeper just a few seconds before and expected it. Ruud is one of the best goalscorers in the world and he's capable of that."

Favourite games
Beckham, too, has a legacy of memories after a century of games in the competition proper. Manchester United's thrilling victory against FC Bayern München in the 1999 final of course stands out, as does his UEFA Champions League debut on 7 December 1994. Beckham was just 19 and had yet to play a league match. Three months later he would be sent on loan to fourth division side Preston North End FC, so a 4-0 victory against Galatasaray SK was something to savour. To cap it all, the precocious talent gave the Old Trafford faithful a taste of things to come with his first goal for the club. "That was one of my favourite games," Beckham, now 31, recalled. "I remember scoring a goal and then celebrating with Eric Cantona. For me, that was an incredible moment."



“Biggest competition”
"It's always an honour to play in the Champions League," Beckham added. "It's the biggest league competition in the world. To do it with Real Madrid as well after playing so many games for Manchester United is an honour." Beckham, who has scored 16 times in the competition, has joined an exclusive club. Only Madrid team-mates Roberto Carlos (104 appearances) and Raúl González (102) have featured more times at this level. "To be on the list with Roberto Carlos and Raúl, again it's an honour. They are two great players who have done almost everything in the game."

Title chance?
More important for Beckham was Madrid's performance in Bucharest. Fabio Capello's side had given the perfect riposte to their weekend defeat by Getafe CF, and with FC Barcelona to come on Sunday it was a timely reminder of just what this side is capable of. In this sort of form, could Beckham envisage adding another UEFA Champions League title to the one he won at United? "Real Madrid have always got a chance of winning the big competitions and if we play like that, we've got an even bigger chance," he said.

“Very well”
"It was a very good performance. We played very well, we played some really good football and kept the ball well. We needed a performance like that because we didn't play well at the weekend so we needed to play like that." Inconsistency has plagued Madrid this term and supporters have reacted angrily to what have been perceived as overly defensive tactics. Beckham in particular has not had it easy. He has been dropped by England and under the new regime in Madrid faces a fight for a first-team place. He was back on the bench in Romania after starting against Getafe. "It's fine," he said. "I played 25 minutes tonight and was happy with that. We're together as a team. That's the most important thing."

“Character”
Van Nistelrooy concurred: "We had a lot of possession, played good football, had good touches and created chances. I think it's what you expect of Real Madrid. We had to bounce back from Saturday's very bad performance. I'm glad we did. We showed character. Getafe was a wake-up call. It was such a bad performance from all of us. We spoke about it and said this will never happen again. We moved on to tonight and thankfully it went very well." For two of the UEFA Champions League's most illustrious campaigners, very well indeed.

[abadani69]

Real Madrid may sell former England captain David Beckham in January's transfer window.

The 31-year-old midfielder has been unable to earn a starting job for the Galacticos under new coach Fabio Capello.

And with Beckham refusing to sign a new contract at the Bernabeu until he is guaranteed a starting spot, the Spanish giants may unload him in January rather than have him leave next summer without compensation.


Real Madrid bought Beckham, one of the most popular players in the world, from Manchester United in 2003 and signed him to a four-year, $41 million contract.

But it seems likely that Beckham has no future with the team under Capello. Beckham has started just four games under the new regime and played only 13 minutes in last Sunday's victory over Barcelona.

Beckham has previously stated he is not interested in a return to England, but Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder admits he would be at the front of a bevy of clubs who would welcome him with open arms.

"I think a lot of clubs in the Premiership would like to have David Beckham," Roeder said. "I think if he came back, bearing in mind he said he will never play in the Premiership again, any team lucky enough to secure his services - their supporters will enjoy watching him play."

Beckham has been strongly linked with a possible move to Major League Soccer. But a return to England's top tier would arguably give his chances of a return to the national team under coach Steve McClaren a shot in the arm.

[Rasputin]

"At least no one was injured"

Rather than taking the final score into consideration, Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello believes the best aspect of Wednesday's match against Ecija was that no player was injured due to the terrible playing conditions at San Pablo Stadium.

How would you evaluate the match?
The pitch wasn't really a pitch, making it very hard to play football. That's why I think it's a fair result. We even had a few chances to put the game away towards the end.
You seem pretty upset about the poor state of the pitch.
The best part of the game was that no one was injured, but we do have a few niggled players. I'm mostly worried about Reyes, Cassano, and Beckham.

Do you think Madrid deserved more? They had the chance to score more goals, but bad aim and the goalkeeper played a large part.
We came out relaxed in the first half and they pressured us better.

[Ecija] were superior to Madrid in various phases of the game.
Yes they were, especially in the first half. Things were pretty level in the second half.



Although it was a King's Cup match and several youth teamers played, what did you get out of this draw?
The truth of the matter is that it's hard to reach any conclusions when the pitch is in such bad shape. The best is that there aren't any serious injuries that would hamper our good patch in the League and the Champions League.

Ronaldo was in the starting eleven for the first time since being operated on in Brazil. The last time he started was on 7 May against Real Sociedad. What do you think of his performance?
It was very complicated for him to play on such a muddy field. He couldn't exploit his explosive speed or his technique. That's basically what happened to all my players. We were at a disadvantage.

[Teri]

real madrid sucks!

[Rasputin]

real madrid sucks!

But in your country,nobody knows what is football dude,isn't it ? hahahaha.. and i liked how Italy how won your country ! hahahaha

[Rasputin]

"I can be the best in the world"

Robinho's smile has only gotten bigger since he earned a spot in the starting eleven for Real Madrid's Champions League match against Steaua Bucharest, and his stong performances and goal scoring capacity have only doubled coach Fabio Capello's faith in the Brazilian. In an interview with Spanish daily El País, Robinho didn't hesitate in saying "I can be the best in the world."





People in Brazil adore you. They consider you a football genius. However, you didn't really speak up when Capello benched you. Didn't you feel mistreated?
I don't have a worry in the world because I know my football and what I am capable of. I'm just a 22-year-old kid with a lot to learn. I have to be humble. I know I can be the best in the world if I work hard and continue improving, and that's exactly what I', going to do.
Emerson Leao once said you get more out of dribbling your opponent than scoring goals.
That was the case when I first started playing. I have matured since then. Leao was my coach when I was 17. I now know that scoring is more important, although my dribbling skills are more effective than my shot on goal. I have to improve my finishing ability.

But you still get a kick out of feinting players, don't you?
I love dribbling and that's what I know how to do, but a goal is a goal, and that's what people really care about.

Last year only Ronaldo scored more goals off plays than you did. He had 14 and you had eight, not including penalties.
I'm not a penalty kick kind of guy. I took them when I played for Santos, but because they asked me to. I think I will score more this year, but it depends on my progress. My first year here was tough. I think I will only improve.

Last year some of your teammates complained that you dribbled too much.
My teammates never said a word to me. I have complete faith in them. They have only told me that I need to dribble with my eye on the goal. The coaching staff haven't told me anything either. Capello has only said that I need to continue doing what I have always done, the same as in Brazil but with more responsibility.




What's the difference between responsibility in Brazil and responsibility in Spain?
Marking is different here and you have to defend more aggressively. If you lose a ball, you have to return to defend your position. I don't have to change anything when I have the ball. I have to do what I know how to do: dribble and exploit my speed. That's my style and I shouldn't ever change it. It's what brought me to the elite of the football world. It's how I got to Real Madrid, and I want to continue down this path.

Capello says he likes Raúl because he plays even without the ball. What does that mean to you?
Marking well and battling. [Capello] likes players to put up a fight, not just to play. Football isn't just won by quality nowadays. That's why Capello has told me I need to return to my position to try to get the ball back by whatever means necessary.

Isn't it unfair that the forwards are being asked to do the defence's work, and not vice versa?
If the team is well positioned and you lose the football, there will always be a teammate who can recover it. Anyone in top form will want to come down to defend. Being a forward is harder than playing in defence because you have to be on my sides of the pitch. But that's why we train for that.

Have you been asked to build some muscle?
When I started playing for Santos I was always told I was good, but that I need to get stronger because I took so many knocks. I never did any specific workouts because we played two games each week and there wasn't enough time. I see myself stronger now that I'm playing in Europe, and I don't hit the turf as often when I am hit.



Do you work out with weights?
Not often. I'm not allowed to because they think I might lose speed, agility, and dribbling ability. I would definitely get stronger and tougher if I did, but I wouldn't be as fast.

Capello style is very different than yours. You weren't bothered when you found out he would be your coach?
Never, because Emerson told me Capello is a great coach, that we'd win titles with him, and that he is a good person. I have always had good relationships with my coaches. I have never had anything against any of them.

Barcelona's football appears more in sync with Brazilian football. Don't you think you would feel more comfortable playing for a more attack-happy team?
It's not a question about attacking, but about playing well. [Barcelona] are a tight knit group and have been playing together for a long time, and it doesn't matter who plays because they share a similar style. That gives them confidence. If Real Madrid continue becoming closer as a team, I think we'll be equal to, or better than Barça.

What European defence did you have the easiest time getting through?
There's not man-to-man marking in Europe, and I haven't suffered as much as I did in Brazil. There was a defence that always kept me from touching the ball, but I don't remember who it was. In Europe, you don't have to worry about the defenders, but where they are positioned. I like to be in constant motion on either the left, right, or in the middle in order to avoid them. The more I move, the more difficulty defences have.



You have a special understanding with Ronaldo. How did you achieve it?
Ronaldo is very bright. We played futsal, and I knew the moves he was going to make before he even executed them. He always runs at an angle to get to the goal. Our teammates always have to pay attention when they have the ball because Ronie will always work his way in looking for tha pass.

Capello has said that he would like his players to get together more often off the pitch. Isn't it strange that the squad rarely hangs out together when not at work?
We're starting to. We all went to Míchel's birthday the other day. The problem is that some of us are married and some aren't. That's why some go out and some don't.

Did you have a harder time adapting to the style of play or your teammates?
My teammates have always treated me well. The cold, the wet field, and the speed of the ball gave me some problems. The ball gets to you quickly in Europe so you have to control it by positioning yourself differently. Brazil's fields are always dry and in terrible shape. The ball moves slowly and controlling is easier, giving defences time to get into position.

Romario once said that if you played 60% as well as he did, you would be great.
I know! But I don't want to be like Romario, and I never will be. I just want to have fun and triumph with Madrid. Many people have compared me to Romario and Pelé. I am Robinho! I don't want to be compared to anybody.

What's your relationship with Raúl like?
It gets better with every match. We really didn't ever play together so we didn't know eachother so well. We crossed paths a few times last year, but he would either play as a forward or striker, making it complicated. If we're played in one position and left there, we'll continue getting better. I think he's in great physical form. He ran nonstop against Barça.

[Rasputin]

Robinho is as focused on Nastic as he was on Barcelona

Robinho's return to Real Madrid's starting eleven just happened to coincide with the start of the team's good patch since their embarrassing loss to Getafe. Whether it's on the left or right side of the field, the Brazilian just wants to play, perform well, and help his team top off the season with a League title. The main objective is to not give up any points when playing at the Santiago Bernabéu, and winning is all that matters.





Do you have to change mindsets after playing such a high pressure game like the Clasico against Barcelona and then facing a team like Nastic?
They are different because the Clasico is always a special game. But the three points are what always remain the same, and we need to keep tallying as many as we can to reach our final goal. We need to play as well as we did against Barcelona. I'm just as ready to play today as I was last weekend, and we have to respect this team as much as we do Barça.
This game could possibly be even more of a challenge because Nastic won't let you play your football.
It will be harder because any team that plays Real Madrid wants to win, and I am sure they use very aggressive marking. Defeating Real Madrid is very important for our rivals. But we are ready. Every match is hard, but we can make things easier if we play like we know how to.

Is the team as focused as last week?
Yes. I think we are focused and have a good state of mind. We know it will be a hard fought battle.

Do you think there's too much euphoria in the dressing room following the latest patch of victories?
In football you have to go out each day and each game to prove you are in top form. The criticism starts the minute you don't play well. We know we need to continue playing well, playing strong, and making people happy if we're to be champions.



What has been the main change since the Getafe match?
We become a stronger unit after each game we play together. And we continue adjusting to Capello's style and doing what he likes us to do. We need to continue doing what we're doing.

Your return to the starting eleven coincided with the 'revolution' of the team.
It's not just me. The entire team is doing well, and that's when individual talent shines through. Ronaldo Raúl, Van Nistelrooy, and even I, will keep improving like this. We need to continue down this path.

On a personal level, do you feel you have changed a lot since first joining Real Madrid?
I'm the same as ever, but I am more comfortable with European football now. Each game I play boosts my confidence and makes me feel better.

What hasn't changed is that one of the main objectives of each of your rivals is to stop Robinho.
Teams need to keep a close eye on players who are in top form. I really want to do well this year and I hope we can win a title or two. I am very excited, as is the team.

Isn't it too early to be talking about titles?
No. I think we have to be thinking about them from the very start of the season. It's a long year with a lot of games to be played. We need to continue playing well.



And there are several complicated matches left, like this Saturday's.
It's a hard away game and we cannot lose. There are three important points in play that might be crucial down the road.

What do you think the score will be?
I just want Real Madrid to win.

Would you rather play along the right or left wing?
I am more comfortable playing on the left, but if the coach wants me on the right, I'm still going to give it my best effort. What's important is that Real Madrid score and win.

The next three matches are all at the Santiago Bernabéu.
We have to tally points both on the road and at home in this competition. We have to win by any means necessary. If we can't win, we have to at least draw. The bottom line is that we have to tally points.