Real Madrid

Manuel Pellegrini positively assessed his team’s performance after their 1-4 win against Valladolid to remain top in La Liga.

“I am very happy with the way we played. Every match is like a final and today we needed to win to stay positive. We need to compete for the title. The players know what is at stake and don’t want everything done so to date to be in vain. The team proved it’s on the right track.”

”We were expecting an aggressive Valladolid and we knew that some statements made earlier this week could affect them, but we never provoked them and knew how to handle the situation.”

“Higuain was quite upset on Wednesday, but he has a lot of personality. I am very happy for him. He immediately found his footing and scored goals, which he has been doing all season long.”

“Barcelona and Real Madrid are playing at the same level, so whoever makes the fewest mistakes will end up winning La Liga. All that counts now is that we continue seeking wins no matter where we play. We have won eight straight matches and are averaging three or more goals per match.”