Arbeloa: Madrid need to refocus

(GSM) – Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa has urged his side to put their midweek disappointment against Olympique Lyon behind them as they begin to embrace a grueling fixture list which starts when they host Villarreal on Sunday.

An out of touch Madrid lost the away leg of their Champions League last-16 clash with Lyon by a 1-0 scoreline and they will need to produce a much better performance in the return meeting if they are to avoid a sixth successive season elimination from the competition at the same stage.

While the return leg is not until next month, the Madrid giants will have to re-double their efforts in closing the gap over the problem prone leaders Barcelona.

Madrid received a huge boost in the title race last weekend when local rivals Atletico Madrid became the first team to beat leaders Barca in the league this season.

That helped reduce the gap between the top two to two points, and Barca will be eager to bounce back against Racing Santander at the Nou Camp on Saturday.

Coach Pep Guardiola continues to have a selection headache, though. Last weekend he was without six defensive players through injury and suspension, and this weekend it is the midfield that’s the main concern with Xavi, Seydou Keita and possibly Yaya Toure all missing.

However, Madrid need to overcome their first hurdle if they are to close the gap on Barca when they clash with coach Manuel Pellegrini’s former club Villarreal.

The home side can bank on their impervious league record this season, where they have won 11 out of 11 and kept eight clean sheets.

It will not be Madrid’s final test at the Bernabeu though, and their upcoming home matches are likely to determine whether Cristiano Ronaldo and Co will be celebrating any silverware this season.

After the visit of Villarreal come successive league clashes with Sevilla, Sporting Gijon, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.

They also have the second leg of their European tie with Lyon during that spell, whilst knowing that if they go all the way to the Champions League final then they will play another key ‘home’ match as the Bernabeu is the host venue.

Madrid therefore have plenty to play for over the coming months, and as such defender Alvaro Arbeloa insists they have to put the Lyon setback behind them.

“There are three weeks before we play the second leg, so we can’t forget that we are also playing for La Liga,” he said.

“The Villarreal match is very important. They are a team that are improving all the time. We need to get our game back on track.”