Real Madrid will look to find their scoring boots again after the Christmas break and finish 2015 on a high when they host Real Sociedad in the La Liga on Wednesday.
Rafa Benitez's men went into the winter break after a commanding 10-2 thrashing of Rayo Vallecano, and Real Madrid will hope for more of the same against Sociedad, who will want to climb further away from the relegation zone.
"I have thought about nothing else other than what I need to do to beat Real Sociedad and win titles," Benitez said. "We have to start the game well, scoring, playing with intensity and joy.
"From there onwards things will be easier and if that is not the case then we will have to show character and be aware that games last 90 minutes. We face a side that have speed in attack and we need to take the leading role."
Benitez was a tetchy mood in the pre-match press conference, accusing the media of a campaign against him, president Florentino Perez and the entire club. While Real Madrid won their last match comprehensively, the goals, bulk of them scored by Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, only started to flow after Rayo Vallecano were reduced to nine men. When it was 11 vs 11, Real Madrid were trailing 2-1.
The club have struggled to convince under Benitez this season, with the scathing 4-0 defeat to Barcelona still hurting many a fan and used even now as a stick to beat this current team with. Benitez, though, insisted Real Madrid are in a strong position at the moment, only trailing the joint leaders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid by two points, even if Barca have played a game less.
"What is clear is that there is a campaign against Florentino, against Real Madrid and against the manager," the former Liverpool manager said. "Everything that is open to criticism is criticised and that which is not is manipulated.
"The campaign is clear and I have to take my decisions and the interpretations made by each individual depend on their interest in causing damage. The interests of Real Madrid are different to those of many media outlets. The team does some things very well and others not so well.
"They have to focus on winning [against Real Sociedad]. My interest concerns the team doing well and the fans enjoying themselves."
Real Madrid will go top of the La Liga table, at least for a couple of hours, with victory over Real Sociedad. That will be a good start in getting the fans back on board.
Where to Watch Live
Watch the goals and highlights of the match HERE
Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad is scheduled for a 4 pm CET (8.30 pm IST, 3 pm BST. 10 am ET) start with live TV coverage in India on Sony Kix. Viewers in India can also watch the match via live streaming online on Sony Liv.
Sky Sports 1 will broadcast the match live in the UK, while the La Liga action can also be live streamed online on Sky Go. Spain viewers can catch the match live on Canal+ and Movistar TV Futbol.
Audience in the USA, Canada, Australia, the Middle East and North Africa will be able to watch Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad live on Bein Sports, while the live stream option is on Bein Sports Connect.
