Following a Spanish media report saying the majority of Real Madrid supporters want Ronaldo to leave the club, Gab Marcotti and the FC panel dive into the implications. Has the current rendition of the Galácticos run its course? Alejandro Moreno talks what changes need to be made for Real Madrid on and off the pitch.
Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane has said style matters but results are more important than anything else.
Madrid, 19 points adrift of Barcelona in La Liga, won 1-0 at Leganes on Thursday in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarterfinal.
Varane captained the team for the first time as they ended a three-match winless run thanks to Marco Asensio's late volley.
AS newspaper's report was headlined: "A great goal and nothing else" after a flat performance.
Buenos días, aquí tenéis la #PortadaAS del 19 de enero de 2018 pic.twitter.com/Wg90SuRsAe
— AS (@diarioas) January 19, 2018
"We played worse than against Villarreal [a 1-0 home defeat on Saturday] but we won," Varane told Onda Cero radio.
"We had played well against Villarreal but we lost, so I prefer to play worse and win.
"We enjoy it when we win more than when we play well. We nevertheless gave a serious performance, and we are happy."
Madrid's La Liga title defence has been a huge disappointment, with recent results including their first-ever home defeat to Villarreal in La Liga.
"This season we aren't playing worse but things aren't going so well, and we enjoy it less when we don't win," Varane said. "What we need is a winning streak, to gain confidence."
Real host Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday before the Copa return leg at home to Leganes, and meet Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League next month.
Asked about the challenges to come, Varane said: "There's still a long way to go. We are only thinking about improving. It will come, but right now we are focused on winning and improving."
Adriana Garcia is a Valencia-based football writer who covers La Liga for ESPN FC.
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Source: espn.co.uk