"Our idea always is to score goals and win matches," said Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez during his pre-match press conference in Paris, where his team will face Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday evening.
Such an obvious statement was his response to a calculated jab from PSG's coach, Laurent Blanc, who had earlier classified their La Liga opponents with the "defensive" tag that Benitez has had to hear so often since he joined Real Madrid.
Benitez listened to three different questions from the media, all related to his allegedly conservative approach to the game before showing a clear frustration at such interrogation.
"I've already spoken about my career numbers, especially with Real Madrid," said Benitez. "[In La Liga] we are the top scorers, the best defenders, the team that takes the most shots on goal. There's not much more to say."
That press conference illustrated the strange atmosphere that surrounds theMerengues this early in their season. If one looks at the numbers just like Rafa demands, they have indeed done their homework so far as they lead La Liga with the best goal difference by a mile in the tournament and have also won their previous two Champions League matches.
However, they have left the public and media slightly doubtful of their real potential with below-par displays in their last two matches against Atletico Madrid and Levante, as well as in a few other matches in which their offense hasn't clicked in the manner most expect a squad as deep and talented as this.
Indeed, injuries have a lot to do with their uneven performances. The fact that James Rodriguez has barely played, coupled with other minor injuries to Luka Modric, Karim Benzema (twice), and Gareth Bale (who will not feature in Paris with yet another muscular injury) have made it very difficult for Benitez to implement a stable approach, especially in attack.
His most creative players have not enjoyed enough time to get used to Benitez's attacking variations; as a result, a few highly motivated (but less offensively gifted) subs such as Lucas Vazquez, Casemiro and Mateo Kovacic have appeared more often that anyone had imagined.
In terms of creativity on Wednesday night, Isco should pick up the slack. Real desperately need him to step up and make the most of the myriad opportunities he's been granted this season. The diminutive midfielder from Malaga has not occupied his favourite position -- a free role behind the striker -- but that excuse isn't enough. He fails to impress match after match, and time's running out given that James' recovery is just days away.
Even though both teams should easily qualify for the next stage of the tournament, it's hard not to see this match against PSG as an extremely serious test for Benitez. The hosts will only miss David Luiz from their ideal starting XI -- some might say it's actually a blessing in disguise -- and have a few players with something to prove against Real.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, for instance, will want to exact revenge on Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portuguese kept Sweden out of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil almost single-handedly. Ezequiel Lavezzi, seemingly headed to Barcelona next season, will probably wish to endear himself to his future supporters with a good performance against their arch-rivals.
And, of course, former Real Madrid player Angel Di Maria must be extremely motivated to shine against the Madridistas to prove them wrong for letting him go to Manchester United two seasons ago, right after he'd led them to the Decima with a fantastic performance in Lisbon.
The French team still need to demonstrate that they can excel in Europe given all the money invested in top-level players. The hunger of Blanc's squad, along with Real's absentees and the intimidating environment of the Parc des Princes, configure a quite challenging match at a juncture in which Benitez needs a resounding win.
The good news on the Madridistas' end involves a certain Croatian. Modric will be able to come back from his injury, which should help in the linking of defence and attack. If Benitez sticks to what he did vs. Atletico, Toni Kroos, Isco and Casemiro should surround Modric in midfield.
With Bale and Benzema out, it's up to Cristiano Ronaldo to lead the line in Paris although Jese seems ready to help, especially after his impressive second half cameo last weekend against Levante.
At the back, the decision of whether Sergio Ramos will play after a pain-killer injection or rest shall be made a few hours before the match. If Ramos can't make it, Nacho should start, instantly making him the weakest link in Real's back four. The performances of Brazilian full-backs Danilo and Marcelo will be key; they'll need to take care of PSG's extremely skilled wingers and also support the attack on the flanks.
Decimated by injuries, Real and Rafael Benitez arrive in Paris determined to make a statement. Judging by the reaction of the Spanish media and Real Madrid supporters so far, that statement should come in the shape of a balanced, composed performance rather than one specific result.
Benitez needs to start building credibility for his system and at this point, that has more to do with the flow of his team than with the actual results.
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