Zidane ‘has done a phenomenal job’ hails Ronaldo as Real Madrid put six past Espanyol

Cristiano Ronaldo 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.

Cristiano helped himself to three goals as Real Madrid beat Espanyol 6-0 in the Primera Liga on Sunday night. Juan Carlos Hidalgo / EPA

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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