Real Madrid have secured a first-leg advantage over Atalanta in their UEFA Champions League tie after beating them 1-0 away from home on Wednesday.
The club who have also reported a host of injuries have seen their performances in the Spanish La Liga take a sudden overturn, cutting the point gap between themselves and Atletico Madrid to just three points.
And central defender Nacho Fernandez has claimed the team deserve a lot of praise for the efforts they’ve made in the last few games.
“We only managed to score one goal, it’s true,” Nacho said when Real Madrid’s attack was questioned after their win over 10-man Atalanta. “We have to give a lot of credit to what this team is doing.
“We’ve got back into the title race, we’ve won here… We’re making an effort and you have to give credit to what we’re doing.
“The objective of these games is to keep a clean sheet.
“We did a very good job defensively – Yes, our opponents were a man down, but it’s not easy.
“If we keep a clean sheet, the goals often come up the other end.”
Madrid will now turn their attention to the league action where they face Real Sociedad on March 1 at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium.
