Fran Escriba admits he would be more than happy take a draw from his Elche team’s visit to Real Madrid on Tuesday night.
However, the 49-year-old boss says his players will be going to the Santiago Bernabeu without any fear, despite Carlo Ancelotti’s men having thrashed Deportivo la Coruna 8-2 away from home at the weekend.
“Fear is a word I do not like, but Real Madrid are a great team whether they lose at home to Atletico Madrid or win 8-2 at Riazor. It has no effect because individually and collectively they are able to do things by instinct.
“However, I’d be crazy not to take a draw right now. If there is any game you could pick where you had a chance of winning then this is it, but to take a point against Madrid would be magnificent,” he told a Press conference.
Escriba said there will be changes to the line-up he fielded in the home defeat to Eibar on Friday, although he insists it will not be a team that goes out to defend.
“We are going to have to offer things in attack because it is very difficult to hold out defending for 90 minutes at the Bernabeu. With the quality Madrid have they can score at any time.
“If we don’t look towards the opposition’s goal then we will have a bad night. Therefore, we must defend well and try to get up the other end of the pitch,” he explained, before recalling last season’s fixture in the Spanish capital.
“In that game we saw a lot of the ball and managed to create chances, yet still came away having lost 3-0. But that’s the Bernabeu for you. We must be solid but also brave,” he asserted.
