Real Madrid will look to get an easy win at home Saturday afternoon against a Malaga side that currently sit in the relegation zone. Here are three keys to victory for Los Blancos.
Keep calm and play your game
On Tuesday, Real Madrid played exactly the game every fan was expecting. A goal-filled beatdown of an inferior team. That is exactly what Real needs to do in this match against Malaga.
Much like APOEL in the Champions League group, Malaga struggles to score goals with just 9 goals for in 12 matches in league play. So, with the possibility of Keylor Navas returning in goal, the Real Madrid defense should have a rather easy afternoon.
On the attacking end, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema need to do what they did earlier this week. Score goals with ease and keep possession of the ball.
Real Madrid need to dominate the midfield and keep possession of the ball for the majority of the match. That is their style of game and the way they succeed. If they can play their game and stay relaxed, this should be a walk in the park.
Good communication between the center backs
Sergio Ramos will miss his second consecutive match with a fractured nose, meaning it will be Nacho Fernandez and Raphael Varane starting at center back again (there is a chance Jesus Vallejo could start if Zidane elects to rotate his squad).
The two have had very good communication when they have played together before, and they will need it again if they want to keep a clean sheet against Malaga.
With Marcelo and Dani Carvajal playing well at the fullback positions, and with their inherent offensive nature, it will be crucial for Varane and Nacho to be the backbone of the formation.
Plus with Keylor just now making his return to the lineup, he could be a little rusty.
The center backs will need to be on their game.
Get out to a fast start
Real Madrid has done a very good job holding leads and building on them, rather than coming from behind as we have seen this season.
In order to win this game, Los Blancos need to start fast and keep their foot on the gas. Against APOEL, they struggled to get chances in the first 20 minutes, but after the goal from Luka Modric, the team began to play confidently and the floodgates busted wide open.
This could very easily happen in this match. Malaga has a little bit of confidence coming from their last couple of matches, so Real Madrid will need to come out and grab the momentum away from the visitors.
A fast start should lead to an easy win for Real.
Next: Friday’s Real Links: Run it up