Cristiano Ronaldo has hailed Zinedine Zidane’s impact in improving the Real Madrid squad’s fitness after scoring a hat-trick in a 6-0 rout of Espanyol on Sunday.
Madrid have now taken 10 points and scored 17 goals in four games since Zidane replaced Rafael Benitez earlier this month.
And Ronaldo said the turnaround is due to the Frenchman’s demands for the squad to get fitter.
“The team is working very hard. In the past three weeks you’ve seen that with the results on the pitch,” Ronaldo told Canal Plus.
“We needed to work harder as a team. Now we have a positive mentality. The pre-season wasn’t good, there was a lot of travelling. Zizou has arrived with different ideas and we have to continue like this.
“The team is in good shape. Zizou has done a phenomenal job. I feel a lot fitter. We won comfortably and everything went as planned.”
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Zidane has consistently stressed the importance of improving Madrid’s fitness since he was appointed three weeks ago.
And his task has been helped by Madrid’s early elimination from the Copa del Rey for fielding an ineligible player freeing up their midweeks through January.
“We have had time to work,” Zidane said. “This was the third week and the team is getting better physically, which is the most important thing for me.
“Our play with the ball doesn’t worry me. We need to maintain this level of intensity and concentration.
“When the (Uefa) Champions League starts again we will have games every three days and won’t have this time to work.
“I am happy and the players are happy because they can see the difference.”
Victory took Madrid back to within four points of Primera Liga leaders Barcelona and one off city rivals Atletico Madrid.
Barca also have a game in hand over both sides from the capital, but Ronaldo and Zidane said Madrid can still land just their second title in eight seasons.
“We can’t think about Barcelona or Atletico, who are playing well. We need to work on ourselves because there is still a long way to go and we are a little behind, but we will see at the end of the season,” Ronaldo said.
“My expectations for the league are still high, it is not over,” Zidane said.
“We need to play well but, above all, win. Here winning is all that matters. We know we can’t drop any more points.”
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The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Inside%20Out%202
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Most match wins on clay
Guillermo Vilas - 659
Manuel Orantes - 501
Thomas Muster - 422
Rafael Nadal - 399 *
Jose Higueras - 378
Eddie Dibbs - 370
Ilie Nastase - 338
Carlos Moya - 337
Ivan Lendl - 329
Andres Gomez - 322
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Racecard
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Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
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The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
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Five expert hiking tips
- Always check the weather forecast before setting off
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'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
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SPECS
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Palestine and Israel - live updates
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The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million