Ronaldo drew a blank in last Sunday’s disappointing 1-1 draw at strugglers Real Betis which left Zidane’s men four points adrift of Barcelona and city rivals Atletico.
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Pepe believes Real Madrid are getting better all the time under Zinedine Zidane as they aim to bounce back from disappointment against Real Betis when they take on Espanyol.
Ronaldo eventually made it 5-0 in the 82nd minute with his 19th Liga goal of the season, drawing level in the Pichichi standings with Luis Suarez, heading home from close range after a fine cross from Jese, before Espanyol debutant Oscar Duarte beat his own goalkeeper to cap a dominant outing for the home side. The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports 1 HD.
Madrid hope to improve their bad form away from home, as well as gain some ground in the league table with a win over struggling Espanyol.
“We’re taking on board what Zidane wants”.
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Midfielder Victor Alvarez and forward Gerard Moreno are suspended for the visitors, while Jose Canas, Anaitz Arbilla (both foot) and Felipe Caicedo (hamstring) are all sidelined through injury. “We have to play a serious game and not allow them to create chances”, the midfielder told Espanyol’s official website. I did not expect to drop points. Speaking ahead of the match, the French manager also backed Cristiano Ronaldo while asking the Portuguese superstar to “work a little more”. The Frenchman also insisted on the importance of starting the game “strongly” as he deflected questions regarding Real Madrid’s interest in signing Neymar from Barcelona.
