Real Madrid, the leaders of La Liga, are in high spirits after defeating Sevilla 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday. The team trained at Ciudad Real Madrid on Sunday and are already preparing for the next match against Valencia on Tuesday.
Benzema scores the winner against Sevilla
The only goal of the game came from Karim Benzema, who headed in a cross from Dani Carvajal in the 64th minute. It was his 15th goal of the season and his 10th in La Liga. Benzema has been in superb form for Real Madrid, scoring in six consecutive games in all competitions.
The French striker also became the fourth highest scorer in the history of Real Madrid, surpassing Santillana with 290 goals. He is behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, Raúl and Alfredo Di Stéfano in the club’s all-time ranking.
Real Madrid dominated the possession and the chances against Sevilla, who are fourth in the table. The hosts had 18 shots, seven of them on target, while Sevilla had only four shots, none of them on target. Thibaut Courtois kept his 13th clean sheet of the season, the most in La Liga.
Zidane praises the team’s performance and attitude
Zinedine Zidane, the Real Madrid coach, was pleased with the team’s performance and attitude. He said: “We played a very complete game from the start to the end. We defended well, we pressed well, we created chances. We scored a beautiful goal and we could have scored more. I’m very happy with the team.”
Zidane also highlighted the importance of the win, which kept Real Madrid four points clear of second-placed Barcelona, who beat Girona 3-0 on Sunday. He said: “It was a very important game for us, because Sevilla are a very good team and they were close to us in the table. We knew we had to win to stay ahead and we did it. We have to keep working hard and keep this momentum.”
Real Madrid prepare for Valencia with a recovery session
The Real Madrid players who started the game against Sevilla had a recovery session on Sunday, while the rest of the squad worked on physical and tactical drills. The team also practiced some shooting and finishing exercises.
The team will have another training session on Monday, before travelling to Valencia for the matchday 27 encounter on Tuesday. The game will kick off at 9pm CET at the Mestalla Stadium.
Real Madrid have a good record against Valencia, having won 18 of their last 25 meetings in all competitions. However, Valencia are also in good form, having won four of their last five games in La Liga. They are fifth in the table, 11 points behind Real Madrid.
Real Madrid will be without Sergio Ramos, who is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season against Sevilla. Eden Hazard, Marcelo and Federico Valverde are also out with injuries. Luka Modric and Ferland Mendy are expected to return to the starting line-up after being rested on Saturday.
Real Madrid will be looking to extend their unbeaten run in La Liga, which stands at 15 games. They have won 13 and drawn two of those games, scoring 38 goals and conceding only eight. They are also the top scorers and the best defensive team in the league.
