Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 8y

Real Madrid have nothing to celebrate yet - Zinedine Zidane

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has warned that his fast improving team have won nothing yet, while also revealing that winger Gareth Bale is now a doubt for next Tuesday's Champions League semifinal at Manchester City.

Saturday's 5-1 stroll at Getafe was Madrid's seventh straight La Liga win, which has helped the club move to within a point of stumbling Barcelona at the top of the table, and they will hope to continue that run when they host Villarreal on Wednesday.

With just five games remaining, it is shaping up to be a pivotal week in the title race, with Barca also at mid-table Deportivo La Coruna and Atletico Madrid at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.

The situation has led to a wave of optimism among fans and pundits around the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu that a season that began so disappointingly during Rafa Benitez's six months in charge could now end with Madrid winning both the Champions League and La Liga titles.

The Blancos coach told his prematch news conference that it was too early for euphoria and that his team still have a lot of hard work to do before they could celebrate winning anything this season.

"We're in a good situation but have not achieved anything yet," Zidane said. "To talk about us going to win everything... I don't like it. We have the fortune to be able to play for La Liga and the Champions League. But nothing has been won yet. There is a lot of talk about winning everything but the players are focused on what we must do.

"They know it will not be easy at all. We are capable of doing it, yes. We are getting closer, but that does not mean anything yet. We must work, battle until the last game, the last minute. I can assure you of that -- we will work hard."

Asked about the loss of form that has seen Barca lose three La Liga games in a row for the first time since 2003, having previously gone 39 games unbeaten in all competitions, Zidane said all teams usually had rough spots over the course of a campaign.

"I'm not thinking about that," he said. "I'm thinking about what we must do ourselves. Each team has their own difficult moments over the season. That does not mean anything -- they are still first. If they win all their games, and we win all our games, we will not win the league. We must keep doing our work, with our idea, and the dream that we can do something. But always with hard work."

Atletico Madrid remain a point ahead of Real Madrid, trailing Barca on head-to-head record alone, and Zidane accepts they are also in the battle.

"Our aim was to first pass Atletico Madrid, and now they are level with Barca it remains the same," he said. "It will not be easy, as they have weapons to keep fighting. It's a good season for all. Then we will see what happens. I could see Atletico and Madrid winning all their games."

Bale will not play against Villarreal on Wednesday, after picking up a new muscle problem that could also see him miss the league trip to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, and makes the former Tottenham player a doubt for the Champions League semifinal at City in a week's time.

"[Bale] has had an issue, felt something over the weekend, I'm not sure exactly what -- it's a strain at the back [of his leg]," Zidane said. "Tomorrow he will not be there. I hope he will be back with us for the next game."

Right-back Dani Carvajal is also sidelined for the moment, so Danilo is likely to return to the starting XI.

"[Carvajal] has a problem, a serious bruise," Zidane said. "He will not play tomorrow. We will see how it goes day by day."

Villarreal beat Madrid 1-0 during Benitez's spell in charge last autumn but now come to the Bernabeu having taken just eight points from their last seven La Liga games, as the Europa League semifinalists have found competing on two fronts to be a tough challenge.

"Villarreal are a very difficult team, we know how they play, we always find it difficult against them," Zidane said. "We will prepare for the game and go for it."

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