Butragueno: We are not unsettled

Real Madrid director Emilio Butragueno feels the club’s 5-1 rout of Real Sociedad proves they are handling the pressure of the title run-in.

After being held to a draw at home to Malaga last weekend, Real dropped two more points in their 1-1 draw against Villarreal on Wednesday night.

Coaching duo Jose Mourinho and Rui Faria, defender Sergio Ramos and attacking midfielder Mesut Oezil were all sent off during the game in Villarreal, and this added weight to the argument that they were feeling the strain.

Real imposed a media blackout after the controversy at El Madrigal and Butragueno believes the table-toppers allowed their football to do the talking against Sociedad.

“Wednesday’s game was very stressful,” Butragueno told El Mundo Deportivo. “But the match against Villarreal is over. Tonight (Saturday) we played a good game.

“We have won the first of three important games, with the European Cup to come on Wednesday and then Osasuna in Pamplona on Saturday.

“Clearly we deserved to win against Malaga and at El Madrigal, which was an intense game. But this is something that can happen.

“We have not been unsettled and we have six points more than Barcelona. And that is not bad.”

Madrid now travel to Cyprus to take on APOEL in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.