Benitez has our complete support

A day after Madrid’s president came out to publicly support coach Rafa Benitez amid widespread discontent from fans, Barcelona thrashed Roma 6-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday for its eighth consecutive victory.

The goals were the first Rafael Benitez’s side had conceded in this season’s Champions League and took the shine off what had looked like being a good response to the 4-0 defeat by Barcelona at the weekend.

Now with Benitez taking his position Real Madrid are currently 3 in the La Liga table with Barcelona six points clear off them on top of the table.

“We have had a board meeting and analysed the sporting situation at Real Madrid and Rafa has all our support and all our confidence”, he said. The group has a great deal of quality, lots of professionalism, we are all moving in the same direction to make sure we win games. Let him keep working and he will achieve his objectives.

Ronaldo opened the scoring with an 18th-minute header into the empty net after some smart play from Gareth Bale, who evaded Yaroslav Rakitskiy and flicked the ball over goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov to give the Portugal forward an easy finish.

“I don’t like to talk of individual players, but we have three or four players who are less talked about”, he said. “I have been in football for many years and perfectly understand that two defeats can not result into firing”.

“Rafa has only just started his job here”.

Marseille coach Michel, who was a former player at the Bernabeu, has been reported to be among the candidates to replace the Spanish coach.

“Real Madrid have got an easy calendar in the next three games, and it’s a good time to get points, to get the unity of the club which is something Florentino Perez has asked of the fans of Real Madrid”.

But is said to want out if Benitez stays.

Manchester United’s involvement in this season’s Champions League remains in the balance after they were held to a goalless draw at home to PSV. Perez also denied that some players have approached him to request for coaching changes. “He has his own way of doing things, and has shown what he can do”.

The only real first-half chance for the hosts arrived shortly before the break, Oleksandr Gladkiy rising to meet a cross from Bernard but missing the target with his header.