Real Madrid’s head coach Santiago Solari is a confident man ahead of his team’s tough week against greatest rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. They will face the Spanish giants Barcelona at Camp Nou on Wednesday for the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi final fixture before a La Liga match with city rivals, Atletico Madrid, on Saturday.
Real Madrid has registered five consecutive wins after a convincing 3-0 win on Sunday against Deportivo Alaves and Solari is confident his team will continue the winning streak.
In a post-match press conference, Solari said, “We are going to fight for everything, always, right until the end, hopefully, of the season.” “That would mean we have reached both [Copa and Champions League] finals. Today I saw hunger to make up points [on Barca]. Madrid never gives up, we always go out to win, regardless of the mathematics,” he added.
Solari was, however, adamant to state whether he would start with the in-form 18-year-old Vinicius who has shown stellar performance lately. “Today [Sunday] he played a great game, left to an ovation from the crowd, is responding very well, when he plays and at training. We are delighted with him, always supported by mature players around him who look after him and give him advice.”
The Solari’s team is currently third in the Spanish league, but reduced the gap between them and their main rivals on Sunday by beating Deportivo Alaves 3-0, capitalizing on Barcelona’s 2-2 draw with Valencia and second-placed Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 defeat at Real Betis.
“Madrid never give up,” he assured. “Always until the very end, and when I say the end I mean until the last game of the season,” he said in a press conference.
Clashes between Real Madrid and Barcelona are usually thrilling and Wednesday’s match is not an exception as Real’s fans hope to revenge the 5-1 loss earlier in the season.