Real Madrid have been in sparkling form in the La Liga as they are the only unbeaten team in the competition. They have won seven and drawn three, which has helped them stay at the top of the table with 24 points. The Spanish giants will aim for yet another La Liga win as they are set to face Leganes in the Bernabeu on Sunday.
With players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Alvaro Morata in the offensive front and quality midfielders such as Isco, James Rodriguez and others, they have been brilliant offensively. They have scored 28 goals in the La Liga so far. This goal-scoring record does not come as a major surprise, but they have been not been able to keep clean sheets much, which is a concern.
Real manager Zidane is aware of all their defensive record, and wants his team to improve in that aspect against all teams. With the team without their talismanic defender Sergio Ramos, who is currently injured, they will need Raphael Varane to be solid at the back, and command the game from the back. They are also without Pepe.
"I don't know why we've lost our defensive solidity. That's part of football, occasionally you come up against difficult times, but I'm not concerned about it. I don't like conceding goals and the players even less so. It's a question for everyone and we can all improve. We must look, particularly myself, to play with calmness and make sure tomorrow, in our next match, that they don't score against us," Real Madrid's official website quoted Zidane as saying.
Despite their defensive record not being too great, conceding 10 goals, their offense has bailed them out. But football is not only about playing offensive football, players at the back also need to shoulder responsibility.
Leganes will go into the second match as second favourite. They have been below par during the season, and are struggling in the bottom half of the table. They lie on 17th spot, and their recent string of losses does not do them any good for this contest. However, Zidane is aware of the importance of all La Liga matches, and wants his team to take Leganes seriously.
"It's another different game, but it'll be tough. Leganés are a team who move very well away from home and know how to play. We have to have maximum concentration levels and take the game seriously. We want to play a good match and give everything to make sure we're pleased with the performance," Zidane said.
Leganes might play with 4-2-3-1 formation, and see if they can catch Real on the counter. If they are to have any chance of stunning the home team, Brazil's Gabriel Pires, who is a dead-ball specialist, needs to shine offensively for the visitors on Sunday.
Where to watch live
Real Madrid vs Leganes is scheduled for a 12 pm local time (4:30 pm. IST, 1pm, GMT, 6 am ET) start. Live TV and streaming information is below.
India TV: Sony Six and Sony Six HD. Live Streaming: Sonyliv.
Spain: TV:Movistar+
UK: TV: Sky Sports 3/HD. Live Streaming: Sky Go.
USA, Australia, Canada, France, Malaysia, Middle East, Singapore and Thailand: TV: Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
