A busy day today with Real Madrid playing Rayo Vallencano at home tonight after the other two teams involved in the fight for the title have played. Should Atletico de Madrid and Barcelona win their matches, Los Blancos will be six points off the pace, making a win even more crucial.
But we start in the press report with comments by Carlo Ancelotti responding to Jose Mourinho – which make Marca’s cover story today. The former Real Madrid manager, now at Chelsea, may possibly be missing life in the Spanish capital because all he does is talk about Real Madrid.
This week, he said Carlo Ancelotti and the team should be doing better than they are given the fact Barcelona aren’t the force they once were. In response, Ancelotti told reporters at his press conference that “we are involved in the title fight – something that didn’t happen last season.”
Elsewhere, AS looks at the current goalkeeping situation at Madrid, and points out that you have to go back 10 years for the last time Los Blancos had conceded as many goals at this stage of the season. With 32 goals conceded in 30 games, they have the joint third best defence in La Liga with Athletic Bilbao. Barcelona have let in just 25 goals in their 30 games, and Atletico de Madrid just 21.
Marca also highlights Gareth Bale’s form and says today is the day he needs to find the heart again (in reference to his goal celebrations). The Welshman hasn’t scored in five matches.
