Football
8y

Keylor Navas says Madrid rivalry is extra motivation

Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas says he will have "extra motivation" going into Sunday's crunch La Liga derbi at Atletico Madrid.

In his second season at Madrid, Navas is set for his first game against cross-city neighbours Atletico, and goes into the game having conceded just one goal in his first eight games as the club's undisputed first-choice keeper.

The Costa Rica international told Madrid's club website that he expected a charged atmosphere at Atletico's Estadio Vicente Calderon, but it would be down to the players to decide what happens on the night.

"It is added motivation, one of the most important games in La Liga, anybody would want to play in it," Navas said. "They have their fans, but ultimately it is 11 versus 11 and that is the most important thing. It is a nice and important game and fans really live it to the maximum. I approach every game with the same level of seriousness. All of the opponents deserve respect. That makes you more professional and means you play well in every game."

Navas was the latest Madrid player, following teammates including Gareth Bale and Pepe, to speak about how new coach Rafa Benitez worked hard on tactical issues during training sessions.

"[Benitez] is very hard working," he said. "He really likes order and he approaches training from a tactical perspective. That is really important to ensure that a team is solid and plays well.'

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke says he reckons home advantage will be a "big positive" for his team at the Calderon on Sunday.

Atletico famously went 13 years from 1999 to 2012 without winning any 'derbi' against Madrid, but under current coach Diego Simeone the situation has changed a lot - and Los Colchoneros have won four and drawn two of the teams' last six domestic meetings.

"Anything can happen in a derbi, but it's true that in recent years we have won," Koke said in AS. "And playing at home in front of our fans is a big positive for us."

The home-grown midfielder has missed been sidelined for a fortnight due to a hamstring strain, and would not say whether he expected to be fit to return for Sunday's huge game.

"I am getting better, coming back from a small injury and I feel better. I am very excited about what this team can do, and want to do things."

At Madrid, Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos have returned to full training after recent injury absences and look set to start on Sunday evening. Brazil right-back Danilo appears to have a chance of making the bench after he stepped up his recovery on Friday, but centre-back Pepe and playmaker James Rodriguez appear to be still sidelined.

"It was the side's penultimate training session before the derby at the Vicente Calderon," a club statement said. "The team continued preparations at Real Madrid City for Sunday's game against Atletico. The big news was the presence of Danilo out on the pitch.

"The Brazilian trained alone and worked with the ball. Pepe and James continue to recover. The rest of the squad, as well as the Castilla players [Martin] Odegaard, [Borja] Mayoral and Marcos Llorente, completed an intense training session led by Rafa Benítez. After the standard warm up exercises, the Whites carried out different ball circulation and possession exercises."

^ Back to Top ^