Real Madrid

The players took the training pitch half an hour ahead of schedule to do stretching exercises and some minor ball work. Coach Jose Mourinho gathered his 18 men (first teamers Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe, Diarra, Lass, Pedro Leon, Granero, Dudek, Adan, Benzema, Gago, Marcelo, Garay and Drenthe; and the academy's Morata, Tebar, Juanfran, Alex and Nacho) around him to give them an introductory speeh.

Mourinho and his assistants laid out an obstacle course comprising poles and cones for the players to work on speed and strength without the ball.

The players then divided into two groups and played a practice game in two small pitches. The exercise was designed to work on starting plays with one or two touches on ball under pessure. Mourinho supervised the workout and gradually asked his men to add intensity to their work.

Thirty-five minutes into the session, the squad took a breather and stretched their muscles before Mourinho gathered them all up again to explain the second half of the session.

The players again divided into two groups to work out on a regular sized pitch. One group focused on attacking in trident formation, led by Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Pedro Leon, while the others defended. The exercise was designed to see how the players moved in relation to the ball being in either attack or defence.

One of Mourinho's characteristics is to open up the field and the players accordingly constantly sent the ball from left to right swiftly, forcing the defending team to make extra efforts to thwart ventures down the wings by Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Pedro Leon (right). Several spectacular plays and goals were seen during the practice game, such as a phenomenal strike from Leon which cause all those attending the session to roar in approval.

The players finished the workout with stretching exercises. They trained again in the evening behind closed doors. There will be another two-a-day tomorrow, with a morning session at 10:00 (19:00 CET) and one in the evening at 17:00 (2:00 CET) behind closed doors.