Madrid Press: Players under huge pressure to win the Decima

We are just three days away from the Champions League final and the nerves and excitement are starting to build now.

Marca and AS are both on top of all the latest news, particularly on the injury front, with the main story this morning that of Diego Costa. The Brazil-born Spain striker has a grade one hamstring tear and is thought to be unlikely to play in Lisbon. But the forward is doing all he can to be available and has opted to have a controversial eastern European treatment using horse placenta to be ready in time.

For Real Madrid, the team news is better. At yesterday’s media day at the training ground, Cristiano Ronaldo declared himself fit, while Carlo Ancelotti seemed confident about Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale also lining up alongside the Portuguese forward.

There is an interesting talk in Marca involving five former Los Blancos players.Paco Gento, Amancio Amaro, Pedja Mijatovic, Fernando Hierro and Fernando Morientes met at the Real Cafe to discuss the final at the weekend. Between them, the five men have 14 European Cup medals and 29 league titles.

And they agreed that none of them were under the pressure the current players are to win the Decima. All of the men said when they were at the club, the European Cup wasn’t a priority and the club wasn’t obsessed with it.

Now though, having waited so long, and with the expectation to win the Decima, the club has become obsessed. Players are now signed with the intention of winning the competition – something that just increases the pressure on their shoulders.