Sevilla vs Real Madrid preveiw - Marcelino wary of Madrid backlash

Posted Saturday, December 17, 2011 by PA

Sevilla boss Marcelino Garcia Toral is wary of a Real Madrid backlash and has pinpointed the visitors' pace on the counter-attack as the main threat to his side.

Madrid have the chance to move back above Barcelona at the top of the Primera Division table heading into the Christmas break and partially make amends for last Saturday's 3-1 defeat in El Clasico to the Catalans.

Marcelino's men saw a two-match winning run come to an end at Levante last week although they did bounce back against San Roque in the Copa del Rey in midweek.

And the former Racing Santander coach accepts it is a difficult assignment at the Sanchez Pizjuan, especially given Madrid's speed on the break.

He told AS newspaper: "We need to stop their counter-attack which is the best win the world.

"We must not let them catch us with equal or superior numbers if they steal the ball.

"And when they have the ball we need to be very strong defensively."

Marcelino believes Madrid pose a different kind of threat to Barca, against whom they gained a highly credible goalless draw in October.

"Against Barcelona, you can defend a certain area of the field but against Madrid, due to their speed on the counter, you don't have time (to get organised)," he said.

"Their movements are much faster and you have to cope with them well."

Madrid midfielder Lassana Diarra admits finishing 2011 on top is an aim but preferred to focus on longer-term targets.

"We would be very happy to start 2012 as leaders, it's what we all hope for but something even more important is to finish the season as leaders in May," said the France international, who believes Madrid remain on track despite last weekend's setback.

"We will not change anything," he told www.bwin.com.

"We've had two years where we've been very close to winning the league. Now we have to keep fighting to the end."

Diarra accepts it will be difficult against fifth-placed Sevilla this weekend.

He added: "They have a good team in a stadium with a great atmosphere. I think if we play as well as we have done in other away games we will win.

"We want to go there to win and go into the holidays as leaders."

Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo has come in for criticism for his performance in the Clasico, in which he missed two great chances before being eventually overshadowed by Barca trio Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi.

Diarra said: "In every game he shows why he could get over 40 goals a season but for him, and for us, the most important thing is to win titles.

"Everyone knows Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world."

Ronaldo was also backed by former Madrid and Barcelona midfielder Luis Figo.

Figo said of his fellow Portuguese: "Everyone knows that a player has highs and lows and in the case of Cristiano, the criticism has no foundation.

"Whoever is attributing blame to him does not know anything about football."