Real Madrid News

Jose Mourinho has handed a league debut to Luka Modric for Real Madrid’s match against Granada on Sunday evening.

The Croatian came on in a cameo appearance in Los Blancos’ Spanish Supercopa victory over Barcelona on Wednesday, but makes the starting XI in what will be his first match in La Liga.

Karim Benzema has been chosen to lead the line ahead of Gonzalo Higuain in attack, meanwhile there is a place for Jose Callejon on the right-hand side. There is no debut for Michael Essien just yet as Sami Khedira and Xabi Alonso start in the centre of midfield.

Granada have named an ambitious starting line-up for the match at Santiago Bernabeu, with Youssef El-Arabi, Juanma Ortiz, and Fabian Orellana supporting Antonio Floro Flores in a front four with plenty of attacking flair.

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Casillas; Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo; Khedira, Xabi Alonso; Ronaldo, Modric, Callejon; Benzema

Granada (4-2-3-1): Tono; Nyom, Borja, Inigo Lopez, Siqueira; Rico, Iriney; Orellana, Ortiz, El Arabi; Floro Flores.

Former Real Madrid star and Spanish international, Guti, has slammed Jose Mourinho’s judgment with regards to the sale of fellow Spaniard, Esteban Granero, and the signing of Chelsea’s Michael Essien on loan.

Guti, who played over 350 La Liga games for Real Madrid between 1995 and 2010, is seemingly outraged that Mourinho would replace a young Spanish player for a foreign player like Essien, who is in th the autumn of his career.

“There are some things I can’t understand in football and one of those is that Granero is leaving so that Essien can arrive. Granero is a much better player and he is Spanish,” Guti told Marca.

“Right now the best players are Spanish, and what happens is that you spend a lot more money if you buy foreigners, which annoys me greatly,” he added.

Esteban Granero has signed for Premier League side Queens Park Rangers, and made his debut on Saturday against English champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

Guti tried to remain respectful, commenting that Real Madrid did need either Essien or Lassana Diarra alongside Sami Khedira, Xabi Alonso and new signing Luka Modric in the midfield, and admitted some may disagree with his views. “It is my opinion,” the 35-year-old said. “That does not mean I am right.”

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Valencia right-back Joao Pereira has turned up the heat ahead of his side’s clash with Barcelona by declaring that Cristiano Ronaldo is a better player than Lionel Messi.

The 28-year-old, who moved to the Mestalla from Sporting Lisbon this summer for €3.6 million, believes his countryman is a more complete footballer in comparison with the 2011 Ballon d’Or winner.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Lionel Messi because he is more complete,” Pereira theorised to Mundo Deportivo.

“Tomorrow [the game against Barcelona], anything can happen, even us scoring, then holding on to win. It will be a difficult test, but we will do our best.”

Los Che coach Mauricio Pellegrino could be without injured midfield duo Fernando Gago and Jeremy Mathieu, pending late fitness tests.

Michael Essien has credited his season long loan move from Chelsea to Real Madrid to his special relationship with Jose Mourinho.

The pair originally worked together in London when the Portuguese trainer brought Essien to Stamford Bridge from Lyon in 2005 and the midfielder is now relishing the opportunity to work under his former mentor again.

“Everything happened so fast,” reflected the 29-year-old at a press conference. “Mourinho called me and said he was ready to take me. I said yes immediately.”

“That was more than enough for me to come here. I see him as a father because he was the one responsible for my move to Chelsea. We have a very good relationship, with a clear understanding of each other.”

Essien has enjoyed several injury-laden campaigns at Stamford Bridge in recent years, struggling to only 14 appearances last season, something he is keen to change.

“I have had some fitness problems in the past, but I’m strong. If I wasn’t ready to play here in the first place, I wouldn’t have signed on.

“Real Madrid have very, very good players, but I’m ready to feature anywhere Mourinho asks me to. It’ll be a great feeling to win titles this way,” Essien concluded.