Sporting de Gijon vs Real Madrid - Real Madrid look for another good result on the road

Posted Saturday, April 15, 2017 by PA

Zinedine Zidane is counting on Real Madrid to produce a second masterclass away from home this week as they turn their focus back onto domestic matters.

The Spanish giants took a giant stride towards the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday after coming from behind to see off 10-man Bayern Munich 2-1 at the Allianz Arena.

It was a seventh win from eight in all competitions, while they will hope to stretch their unbeaten run to 11 games when they travel to northern Spain to take on Sporting Gijon, who will end the weekend in the bottom three even if they upset the odds on Saturday afternoon.

Real will be aiming to at least maintain their three-point lead at the top of the LaLiga table but, despite the teams' differing fortunes this season, Zidane is taking nothing for granted.

He told his club's official website: "They're dangerous opposition because they're a Primera Division side. They're a team that have perhaps struggled throughout the season, but in any given game they can cause you problems.

"We know that it's a very important game and we're going to have to produce a great performance if we're to put any points on the board."

One of the only downsides to emerge from their triumph in Bavaria was Gareth Bale being withdrawn in the second half after complaining of a niggle.

Zidane revealed the Welsh forward is struggling with a calf injury on the same leg on which he underwent ankle surgery that forced him to miss three months of this campaign.

Bale will therefore be sidelined in Gijon with a view towards being included for Tuesday's second leg against Bayern.

"Bale won't feature," Zidane said. "We'll have to see what his injury is. We'll be monitoring his progress every day and we'll see if he's fit in time for Tuesday.

"I hope that he's back with us shortly. He has some swelling to his soleus, it's a muscular issue on the area he was operated on. I'm worried about it because I don't like to see players out injured and all the more so during the run-in.

"He was excited after having spent three months out, but he knows that it's not a serious one, it's just a setback."

Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to reach 100 European goals with a brace in Munich, and Zidane added: "We have to be pleased that he says he'll be firing on all cylinders until the end of the season.

"He's fine, very up for it and few players are going to manage to score 100 goals in European competitions."

Gijon have won only twice since Rubi took charge in mid-January and back-to-back losses to Malaga and at Real Sociedad have left them five points adrift of safety.

Rubi knows they face a tall order against Real but is not discounting their hopes.

"We have to think we can do it," he said on his club's website.

Forward Burgui will not be available to face his parent club after collecting his fifth yellow card of the season against Sociedad, although Gijon have no other injury or suspension problems.