What Leganés Have Been Saying
Despite being one place out of the relegation zone, Leganés are not showing any fear of their cross town rivals.
As Real Madrid prepare to make their first trip to the Butarque Stadium on Wednesday night, both center back Martin Mantovani and manager Alberto Martin both said earlier this week, “We can defeat Real Madrid.”
This is the fourth meeting all time between the two clubs, with Real Madrid winning all three of the previous meetings (twice in the Copa Del Rey, once in La Liga).
Leganés nearly had FC Barcelona’s number when the two met earlier this season at the Camp Nou, with the Catalan side triumphing in the 89th minute thanks to a penalty kick goal from Lionel Messi. And Mantovani said of that result, “the team felt strengthened by how we played,” and think they can repeat that performance today against Madrid.
Real’s Dani Carvajal will have a kind of homecoming when he plays in the Butarque, having been born in Leganés and having lived in the area for some time now.