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The international break has ended--and it's about time! Real Madrid in action on match day four of la Liga. Los blancos will be away at Sevilla tonight, where Mourinho's men will be hoping to avoid a costly loss.
Sevilla currently sit seventh on the premature la Liga table, two spots above us. The side could pose a challenge, boasting players who could make life difficult for los blancos in the form of Alfredo Negredo, Jose Antonio Reyes and Jesus Navas. Negredo, Sevilla's leading goal scorer in their last campaign, has retained some of his firepower and already has three goals to his name. He will be looking to net a couple more against his former club so watch out for him as well as winger Jesus Navas who could also prove to be a nuisance. The Andalusian club has earned one victory and two draws in the three previous match days against Getafe, Granada, and Rayo Vallecano respectively. Although those matches shouldn't have posed too much of a challenge, Real Madrid will have to break their winning streak when they head over to the Sánchez Pizjuán.
History is definitely on Real Madrid's side, having won seven straight matches against Sevilla. However, Mourinho's men cannot be overconfident as they have already dropped five points in three matches and will need to collect all three points if they want to keep pressure on current league leader, Barcelona. Although it's still early, in a league where the Catalans rarely drop points, Real Madrid really will have to avoid a stumble to keep up.
To make things even easier (sarcasm), Real Madrid can look forward to a Champions League clash against Manchester City later this week. With the pressure on the team to finally collect that 10th European title, Mourinho will really have to work to make sure the team has all its attention and focus devoted to the match against Sevilla. Real Madrid really cannot slip up here, because not only would a loss further hinder the former la Liga champions in their title race, but it could also unsettle them prior to the first Champions League match of this campaign. A victory can boost the morale of the team and the fans, some of whom have been extremely critical of the team's rocky start. Even Mourinho is concerned about the start, saying he's "disturbed" by how they've been playing during his press conference.
This victory won't be a walk in the park as Sevilla are extremely motivated. Coach Michel was quoted earlier, expressing his wish to beat the former league Champions.
"I would give my contract if that's what it takes to get a win against Real Madrid and that turned into the start of a positive run."
Well, he can give as much as he wants but despite their current situation, Real Madrid is expected to take all three points. Real Madrid has more firepower than Sevilla and they have shown it in the past. If the team can stay focused and avoid any major mistakes, Los Blancos can grab that victory they're looking for. But if they can't, Sevilla could prove a sticky obstacle in what's looking to be an already complicated week for Real Madrid. We'll need the entire team on board and we'll also need Cristiano Ronaldo to put away that chip on his shoulder and play to his full potential. Luck could also be helpful, and hopefully the green of Real Madrid's new kit, debuting tonight, will help us out (you know, how shamrocks are green and all).
Real Madrid will also need the support of its fans, regardless of the end result. So get out your jerseys and your voices and join us here on Managing Madrid as we provide full coverage of the match, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. And honestly, this time we'll need everyone to say "Hala Madrid" every chance you get.