Pressure mounting on Illarramendi to perform

Andy West 10:33 07/05/2014
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  • Time to shine: Illarramendi has made 46 appearances for Madrid this season.

    Real Madrid’s La Liga title challenge is far from over but manager Carlo Ancelotti has confessed his team’s forthcoming Champions League final is playing on his mind.

    In particular, the question of how to replace Xabi Alonso, who will be suspended for the all-Madrid final against Atletico in Lisbon, could influence Ancelotti’s team selection for the must-win trip to relegation-threatened Real Valladolid.

    Logically, Asier Illarramendi should be the ideal replacement for Alonso, having been signed for Dh164.7m last summer from Real Sociedad to eventually inherit the former Liverpool stars place in the heart of the midfield engine room.

    But Illarramendi’s performances in his first season at the Bernabeu have been less than convincing, with the 24-year-old suffering the indignity of being substituted at half-time in Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Valencia.

    Ancelotti insisted Illarramendi is still in his thinking for the final and could receive playing time in place of Alonso in the final three league games, saying: “Illarramendi is a player who can replace Alonso. He has the same type of game.

    “He didn’t play well against Valencia but that does not change anything in our preparations for the final. It’s obvious he’ll have playing time between now and the final, and it could be that he’d feel more comfortable playing in Xabi’s position.”

    Perhaps aware that he was focusing his comments too much on his team’s European campaign, Ancelotti quickly added: “But at the moment we’re thinking about La Liga, not the final. We want to win our three remaining games and I think Alonso will be decisive.”

    Another player whose recent form has attracted criticism is French striker Karim Benzema, who hasn’t scored in his last five league outings.

    “I’m not worried,” said Ancelotti. “He scored an important goal in the Champions League semi-final and I can’t say anything against the strikers this season – we’ve scored more than 150 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo has only scored 50 thanks to everyone’s work.”

    Valladolid also have everything to play for, coming into the game in the relegation zone but only one point adrift of safety and with confidence boosted by a 1-0 victory over Espanyol at the weekend.

    Recognising the importance of the encounter, Ancelotti urged his players to give everything as he said: “It’s a final – a decisive game for both teams. That’s the attitude we must have. Our only chance of becoming La Liga champions is winning all three games, and that’s our objective.”

    Madrid have travelled without the injured Gareth Bale and Dani Carvajal, with Angel Di Maria and Nacho Fernandez set to return to the starting line-up.

    Luka Modric and Pepe are back in the squad and Sami Khedira could make his first appearance for six months from the bench, while Iker Casillas will start in goal.

    Valladolid boss Juan Ignacio Martinez believes his team can cause another upset tonight after beating Barcelona two months ago as part of an impressive 10-game unbeaten run at home.

    “Nothing is impossible,” Martinez said. “That’s what makes football so great and why it moves so many people. If we thought the game was already lost, we might as well tell Madrid not to bother coming. We are going to compete.”

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