Kylian Mbappe hinted a future move to Real Madrid is very much a possibility, saying the club feels like his "house".

Mbappe was widely expected to join Madrid upon the expiry of his contract in June, but instead he committed his future to Paris Saint-Germain until 2025 in a shock decision that sparked fury in Spain.

His new deal with PSG, which was reported to feature a €100million signing bonus, expires at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Mbappe will still only be 26 at that point, illustrating a point apparently made by Emmanuel Macron when the French president made his pitch for the World Cup winner to remain in his home country.

"I never imagined I'm gonna talk with the president about my future, about my future in my career, so it's something crazy, really something crazy," Mbappe said in an interview with The New York Times.

"He [Macron] told me: 'I want you to stay. I don't want you to leave now. You are so important for the country.'"

According to Mbappe, Macron added: "You have time to leave, you can stay a little bit more."

Mbappe did not give a clear indication as to whether he would take the opportunity to trade Paris for Madrid when the opportunity arises again, but he conceded he feels as if the club has dominated the narrative around his career despite never playing for Los Blancos.

"You never know what's going to happen," added Mbappe. "You've never been there, but it seems like it's like your house, or something like this."

Mbappe, though, rejected talk of the signing bonus and the massive contract given to him by PSG as being the reason for his decision to stay.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, eager to build a Champions League-winning team, claimed amid the fallout from Mbappe's decision that Madrid had offered more money.

Mbappe said of his significant financial compensation: "Everywhere I go, I'm gonna get money. I'm this type of player everywhere I go."

Carlo Ancelotti believes the biggest unknown surrounding Real Madrid's potential defence of the Champions League is the prospective physical condition of his players when they return from the World Cup.

Madrid begin their quest for a 15th European Cup on Tuesday when they visit Scottish champions Celtic.

The group stage is condensed this season because of the World Cup, moved from its usual Northern Hemisphere summer slot to November because of the extreme heat in Qatar.

Teams involved in the group stage will play six games in under two months, with the battle for a place in the last 16 coming to a close on November 2.

On top of domestic commitments, that makes for a crowded fixture list. Yet Ancelotti is less concerned with the effects of the schedule than he is about the potential toll on his squad of playing in a mid-season World Cup.

"Until the World Cup, I think we won't have any problems," Ancelotti said of the unusually busy fixture list. 

"The players are prepared and motivated. The question is how the World Cup players will return. It cannot be known."

Madrid are not seen as favourites for the Champions League despite their remarkable run last season. Los Blancos delivered thrilling comebacks against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City before beating Liverpool 1-0 in the final.

City are the bookmakers' favourites ahead of PSG, Liverpool and Bayern Munich. Ancelotti, though, is happy his team are not in the top four in that sense.

"I'm not surprised. I see it as a good sign," he added. "I think that last year we had even less probability in the statistics. So we have improved. 

"What happened last year will happen. We are going to compete until the end and hopefully we will compete in the final."

Ancelotti's team are, however, overwhelming favourites to win Group F, which also features RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk, as well as Celtic.

But Ancelotti pointed to Madrid's shock home defeat to Sheriff Tiraspol in last season's group stage when asked about their seemingly easy draw.

"It is not an easy group, because we know the teams very well," said Ancelotti. "Celtic are doing very well, we have to respect them, like Leipzig and Shakhtar. 

"In the group stage, there are surprises, especially in the first half. We have a pretty vivid memory of last season with Sherriff at home. We respect the group and I think it will be an even group."

Former Liverpool forward Bobby Duncan has hit out at his former agent for working to "jeopardise" his career, three years on from a controversial move to Fiorentina.

Duncan, then considered a rising star at Liverpool, made headlines in 2019 when then-agent Saif Rubie accused the club of causing the youngster "deep mental health issues" before negotiating a move to the Serie A team. The Reds always denied such claims.

However, the attacker – who is also a cousin of Reds legend Steven Gerrard – has struggled since the transfer and now plays for Spanish third-tier team Real Balompedica Linense after a failed spell at Derby County.

On Monday, Rubie made an explosive radio appearance, telling talkSPORT: "I actually advised him [Duncan] to stay at Liverpool and you have to understand one thing, which is what I was trying to tell you guys, my job is to do the best for whoever is telling me to help them. 

"In that particular case, you can choose to believe me or not, I thought him staying was the best outcome. It wasn't meant to be, and in the end it got a bit ugly with Liverpool, which is unfortunate."

But Duncan, who dropped Rubie as his agent shortly after joining the Viola, has refuted those claims in a series of fiery tweets, asserting: "You and I both know the truth. 

"I didn't have a decision nor say as you took it upon yourself to jeopardise my career and to turn a local lad away from his boyhood club and leave me and my family to pick up all the pieces.

"Not once have I spoken upon this topic in four years as it's been my main priority to get my career back on track. Yet you think you have the right to mention my name on a live radio show.

"The truth will be told by myself when the time is right. I should never have trusted my career in your hands. I have learnt my harsh lesson there. And I just pray you have learnt yours as it could ruin another young boy's career. 

"And lastly, just to clarify, there was no advising given as you point blank made your mind up, publicly, and by then the damage had been done."

Rubie also worked as an intermediary on Antonio Rudiger's move from Chelsea to Real Madrid earlier this year and used his radio appearance to claim Los Blancos' offer was the smallest the German received. 

"Antonio Rudiger has been one of the best, if not the best, defender in the world and Premier League," he said.

"It made Carlo Ancelotti want to bring him to Real Madrid. What is the value of a top-flight, top-level centre-half in the game?

"What if I told you Chelsea, and the old regime, basically made next to no effort to keep the player.

"At the time he was very happy to stay and potentially be the captain of the club. He was offered a contract that was half the amount Romelu Lukaku was earning.

"Let me confirm this, live on air, the Real Madrid deal was the smallest deal on offer. There was a club in England offering almost double the amount and a club in Europe doubling the amount.

"I'm not going to discuss the specifics. Everyone knows there were teams interested in this player. He was one of the best in the world."

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin declared European football must remain open to all clubs amid ongoing speculation concerning a breakaway Super League.

Although the majority of the Super League's founding members withdrew in the face of public and political pressure following a much-criticised launch last April, the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus remain committed to the project.

Florentino Perez, who was to be named Super League chairman, has continued to call for Europe's elite clubs to secede from UEFA, insisting the breakaway competition was "still alive" in June.

More recently, Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos backed the stance of the Blancos president by claiming: "It [the Super League] should have been in operation for a long time".

But Cerferin, speaking at the FPF Football Talks Portugal 2022, emphasised his confidence in the continental game's existing structure.

"Football, for sure, will stay open in our competition always. The essence of European football, which is by far the strongest football in the world, is that it's open," he said.

"What those people who think that only the elite play football don't understand is that even they would be much worse if they wouldn't have everyone competing. 

"Last season we saw Sheriff [Tiraspol] from Moldova winning in Madrid against Real Madrid. If my Slovenian team with a budget of two million won against Tottenham, that's the essence of European football. It's part of our culture. It's part of our history and it will never change. 

"It shouldn't change and what many people don't know is that UEFA returns in club football 93.5 per cent of all the revenues to the clubs, and altogether 97 per cent of all the revenues go back to the clubs. 

"This is the most important part of football and that's why we are as successful as we are. I absolutely insist and will insist that the dream will stay alive for everyone."

One of the clubs' major motivations for looking to break away from UEFA, besides the ability to regulate their own competition, is to arrange more money-spinning contests against other elite sides.

Despite the Super League's demise, the participants are set to get their wish when the Champions League introduces an additional four group-stage matches for each team from the 2024-25 season. 

That change has been met with fierce criticism from some quarters, with the busy nature of the football calendar already a major talking point.

While Ceferin acknowledged the challenges created by the schedule, he claimed a "balance" between player welfare and financial sustainability had been found, and pledged there were no further reforms planned. 

"The calendar is very dense. I have to say it feels close to the limit probably. The thing is that clubs have to stay sustainable," he added.

"If clubs want to be sustainable, they have to have a certain amount or number of matches. Now, the ones who complain are mainly from the big clubs who really play more than the others, but from the other point of view, they have 25 top-class players.

"So the truth here is not black and white. I think we should seriously think about the number of matches, some think that two cups are too much. That's not the jurisdiction of UEFA to decide.

"But in principle, from one point of view clubs are saying that they want matches to get revenues so they can say sustainable. From the other point of view, some are complaining about too many matches. 

"So we have to find a balance here. I think we did find it and we changed the competition post 2024. After that, I don't see any possibility of changing anything soon."

Meanwhile, Ceferin also highlighted his confidence the World Cup would make a return to Europe in 2030, backing a joint bid from Spain and Portugal. 

"I see it as a winning bid. We will do whatever we can to help the bid. It's time for Europe to host the World Cup. Both countries are passionate about football," he said.

"You feel and you smell football in Spain and Portugal. The infrastructure is great. 

"So we have some plans on how to help. I think, and I'm sure, that will have the World Cup in 2030 in Spain and Portugal."

Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos anticipates plans for a European Super League will be revived, as he refuted claims of the Premier League's superiority.

Madrid president Florentino Perez has led calls for Europe's elite clubs to secede from UEFA competitions and was the driving force behind last year's proposed breakaway competition. 

While most of the Super League's slated participants withdrew following public and political pressure in April 2021, Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus have remained committed to the project.

In June, Perez branded UEFA's control over the continental game a "monopoly" and declared the Super League was "still alive", and Kroos supports the president's plans. 

Speaking on the podcast OMR, Kroos said: "Never contradict your own president!"

"It is obvious that the idea existed and still exists. It should have been in operation for a long time, I think it will take a while to carry it out and I will probably not see it as an active player.

"My opinion on that is that I still believe it will come, but I can't say when."

Kroos, who has won four Champions League titles since leaving Bayern Munich for Madrid in 2014, also professed his desire to stay with Los Blancos.

"I've been at Real Madrid for eight years and there was closeness from day one," he said of his relationship with Madrid president Perez.

"I know that in these eight years he hasn't thought for a second about selling me. At that time, I came for 'only' €25million, surely I could have been sold later for more money.

"I have an excellent relationship with the club, I've grown very fond of it. The president, the team, the fans... so I won't leave."

It has been suggested the Premier League has developed into a quasi-Super League, with English top-flight clubs spending an estimated £2billion on transfers during the recent window.

But Kroos, who helped Madrid beat Liverpool to claim their 14th European crown in May, says English clubs' shortcomings on the continental front prove that is not the case.

"The Premier League has not won an international title this year," Kroos added. "Television money has been significantly higher in England for years and yet it hasn't resulted in English teams winning everything. 

"Thank god not all players look only at salary, but also at winning."

Madrid begin their Champions League title defence when they face Celtic on Tuesday.

Carlo Ancelotti hailed Rodrygo as "special" after the forward's goal secured a 2-1 LaLiga win over Real Betis on Real Madrid's return to Santiago Bernabeu.

Vinícius Junior scored the opening goal in Madrid's first game at their revamped home for 106 days, but Sergio Canales equalised in the first half.

Rodrygo stepped up to make it four LaLiga wins out of four for the champions and consign Betis to a first defeat.

Madrid boss Ancelotti lavished praise on the Brazil forward following his decisive 65th-minute strike.

The Italian said: "He is a special striker, he can play in all positions. He is fast, smart and effective one on one. The learning is over. He is a Real Madrid player for all purposes."

Ancelotti moved level with Vicente del Bosque in third place on the list of Los Blancos head coaches with the most victories, reaching 133 wins. They are behind Miguel Munoz (357) and Zinedine Zidane (172).

Madrid are sitting pretty at the top of the table and Ancelotti is delighted with the way they have begun the defence of their title.

He said: "We have started the season well. It was a difficult match. With the ball we have done well. We missed the last pass, but we generated a lot. The match was not easy because Betis plays very good football."

Ancelotti added: "The goal is to play effective football, which allows us to score points and win matches. With the quality we have, we are capable of putting on good games. The team dynamic is good. The squad is very confident in its quality."

Despite having a 100 per cent record, Madrid have conceded in all four LaLiga games they have played and Ancelotti says they must be tighter at the back.

He said: "This must be taken into account. The conceded goal was a pretty serious mistake. We were caught unaware behind in a throw-in. We have to improve these situations."

Joaquin matched a LaLiga record on Saturday, as he made an appearance in Spain's top flight for a 20th season.

The 41-year-old, who has spent 13 years of his long career at Real Betis and is the club captain, came on in the 71st minute of his side's 2-1 loss to Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu.

It marked Joaquin's first appearance of the season and, in the process, he matched a LaLiga record set by Miquel Soler, whose senior career in Spain also lasted 20 seasons.

Joaquin's feat is all the more remarkable as he spent two seasons playing outside Spain, enjoying time in Italy with Fiorentina from 2013 to 2015.

He could not influence the Madrid game significantly as Betis lost for the first time this campaign, having 14 touches and attempting 13 passes but failing to create a chance or have a shot.

Real Madrid maintained their 100 per cent record in LaLiga as they marked their return to the Santiago Bernabeu with a 2-1 win over Real Betis.

Madrid's opening three league games had come on the road, but the reigning champions transferred that form to home turf on Saturday.

Victory did not come easy, with Madrid unusually profligate in front of goal, while Thibaut Courtois' error allowed Betis to cancel out Vinicius Junior's opener through Canales.

Rodrygo made the decisive breakthrough midway through the second half, however, condemning Betis to a first defeat of their LaLiga campaign.

Madrid needed just nine minutes to score their first home league goal against Betis since March 2017 when David Alaba picked out the run of Vinicius who, having beat the offside trap, lofted a fine finish over Rui Silva.

The celebratory mood was stifled eight minutes later, however. Borja Iglesias brilliantly held off his marker and laid it off for Canales, whose low finish found a way under Thibaut Courtois.

Madrid's response was immediate, with Rodrygo finding Vinicius, but from close range the winger blazed his attempt over, while Silva pulled off a fine save to deny Aurelien Tchouameni.

Los Blancos' dominance continued into the second half – Karim Benzema spared by the offside flag for a dismal miss a yard out – and Silva tipping a stinging Luka Modric strike onto the post.

Yet Madrid's winner came in the 65th minute. Ancelotti turned to Federico Valverde for inspiration from the bench and, with his second touch, the Uruguay international provided just that, cutting back to Rodrygo, who benefitted from weak goalkeeping from Silva.

Rodrygo was agonisingly close to a second when his cute volley clipped the crossbar, though Madrid's failure to add a third did not ultimately prove costly.

Marcelo has signed for Greek Super League champions Olympiacos after bringing down the curtain on his glittering Real Madrid career.

The left-back – a five-time European champion – was firmly behind Ferland Mendy in Madrid's pecking order last term, starting only seven games in all competitions as Los Blancos won LaLiga and the Champions League.

Although Marcelo was club captain, Karim Benzema usually skippered Carlo Ancelotti's team. Marcelo then departed when his contract expired at the end of the 2021-22 season, ending a 15-year stay with the Spanish giants.

Marcelo said upon leaving Madrid: "I won't retire, not now. I feel I can still play. Facing Real Madrid won't be a problem. I'm a big Madridista, but I'm also a big professional."

He was available as a free agent and was recently linked with Premier League side Leicester City.

However, the 34-year-old has ended up at Olympiacos, who described him as "a true football legend" when announcing the deal.

There is unlikely to be the opportunity to face Madrid this season, with Olympiacos having failed to qualify for the Champions League group stage, losing to Maccabi Haifa in the preliminary rounds.

Carlo Ancelotti has no concerns around the contract situations of several of his veteran Real Madrid stars, with Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos all now into the final 12 months of their existing deals.

The transfer window closed on Thursday, leaving Madrid coach Ancelotti with a squad to work with at least until January.

But there remains work to do in the coming months if this hugely successful group is to stay together beyond the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

Madrid have a host of players out of contract at the end of the season; some, like Marco Asensio, seem certain to leave, but Benzema, Modric, Kroos and Nacho are all key men.

Benzema is reportedly expected to sign a one-year extension, however, while Modric has done so in each of the past two years.

And Ancelotti sees this approach as sensible, remaining confident these top performers will stay at the Santiago Bernabeu as long as they are wanted.

"There are some players who are in the final year of their contract with the club, but that's not an issue," he said.

Ancelotti added: "You look at Modric, Kroos, Karim, Nacho, these are players who want to stay here until they finish their careers, sometimes signing one-year contracts.

"I don't think having a player in the final year of his contract is an issue.

"There are a lot of clubs who have players in their final year of contract, because you've got to look at the economy of a club and how clubs are run.

"That's why now we're seeing more players reach their final year of contract.

"Look at our veteran players and what we do with them, bringing in their contracts on a yearly basis."

Carlo Ancelotti believes Real Madrid are "in a better position" than at the start of their double-winning campaign last year, although he does not see any favourites for the Champions League at this early stage.

Madrid won LaLiga and the Champions League in 2021-22 after signing David Alaba on a free transfer and Eduardo Camavinga from Rennes.

Los Blancos' transfer activity has been similar again this year, bringing in Antonio Rudiger in defence and Aurelien Tchouameni in midfield.

But Madrid are also playing with the confidence of having achieved great success last season, starting the new campaign with a Super Cup win over Eintracht Frankfurt and three straight LaLiga victories.

"I think we're in a better position at the start of this season because of all that we achieved last year," coach Ancelotti said ahead of Saturday's game against Real Betis.

"I do expect a tougher league campaign and also in the Champions League. I don't think there is a clear favourite in the Champions League; we have to wait and see what happens in March and April.

"We have less doubts now than we did at this stage last year. I think we have a very good squad after the transfer deadline closed last night.

"We have options in every position, and we're definitely going to compete this season."

Madrid did lose Casemiro to Manchester United, but Tchouameni has started all three league matches at the base of the midfield in the position the departed Brazil international made his own at the Santiago Bernabeu.

While Ancelotti described Tchouameni as "the icing on the cake" for his squad, he has already taken on an integral role.

"I think he is the best player right now to play in that position," Ancelotti said of the new man. "Also, [Toni] Kroos and Camavinga could play in that midfield role – it depends on how we prepare for a game and how we need to play.

"Kroos could control the ball better, a great passer of the ball who sets the tempo of a game. If we need more energy and a more dynamic midfielder, maybe Tchouameni would be the better option.

"Camavinga has improved on last season, and Tchouameni has shown what he is capable of. He works very hard; I think he is a great signing. He is still very young, he still needs to progress.

"We have a great midfield; we have young players, energy, quality, intelligence, veteran players, players who are tactically astute.

"But I want to highlight it's not that important the three players who start, because you can change the entire midfield during the course of a game."

And Tchouameni's instant impact has not come as a surprise to Ancelotti.

"No, I'm not surprised," he said. "If we invest a lot of money in a player, which we did, you have to be sure that he's the player you want. Just look at what he's contributed so far.

"We're working on the defensive aspect of his game; he's a good defender, works hard, but also you have to work alongside other players, know how they work, how they play. That understanding comes with time.

"It's different when you're playing along Kroos and [Luka] Modric than if you're playing alongside Camavinga and [Federico] Valverde, for example. I don't foresee any problems, but it is different."

With the transfer window closing on Thursday, some clubs will be scrambling to assess their options.

There may be some movement of free agents still, while clubs who missed out on targets will be weighing up their chances in January with contractual situations evolving.

Inter defender Milan Skriniar is one player who was heavily pursued without success and who will have only six months left on his contract at the turn of the year. 

TOP STORY – PSG TO PERSIST IN SKRINIAR PURSUIT IN JANUARY

Paris Saint-Germain will revive their failed pursuit of Milan Skriniar in January, according to L'Equipe.

PSG made three offers for the Slovakian defender which were rebuffed by the Italian giants, including one worth €50million.

Skriniar is into the final year of his Inter deal and PSG boss Christophe Galtier had been eager to bring him to the French capital.

ROUND-UP

– Napoli will try to sign PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas again in January after missing out on him, reports L'Equipe. The report claims the Costa Rica international and PSG may opt to terminate his contract by mutual consent before January.

– Marco Asensio had been linked with Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool in recent weeks but he has committed to seeing out his Real Madrid contract which expires in mid-2023, according to Mundo Deportivo.

– The Telegraph reports Blackburn Rovers will be open to pre-contract offers to their hot property forward Ben Brereton Diaz in January after rejecting bids from Fulham and Everton. The Chile international has less than 12 months remaining on his deal at Ewood Park.

Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has revealed his surprise at the departure of former team-mate Casemiro to Manchester United.

The Brazil international ended his nine-year stay at the Santiago Bernabeu when he swapped LaLiga for the Premier League earlier this month for a reported fee of £60million (€70m).

Casemiro, who made his United debut as a substitute during Saturday's 1-0 win at Southampton, enjoyed a trophy-laden stint alongside Kroos in the heart of Los Blancos' midfield.

Together, they won four Champions League crowns and two league titles, and the 30-year-old's decision to leave the Spanish capital was one that came out of the blue, according to Kroos.

Speaking on his podcast Einfach mal Luppen, Kroos said: "The decision surprised me to do that. He has made the decision for himself to do something new again.

"He's 30 and knows for sure that he won't need to do that in two or three years. There were more and more reports, it somehow got hotter.

"In the beginning, I would not have expected it at all, I thought it was just a rumour at first. But there are one or two newspapers here that are a bit better informed.

"As more and more people reported and talked about details, I was awake at three or four o'clock at night when I was sick. Then I just wrote to him [asking] if he would really leave me alone."

Real Madrid have signed Barcelona youth product Iker Bravo from Bayer Leverkusen on an initial season-long loan deal.

The 17-year-old spent more than a decade in Barca's famed La Masia academy prior to joining Leverkusen last year.

Bravo, capped by Spain at various age levels through to Under-19, made two substitute appearances for Leverkusen in all competitions last season.

Bundesliga club Leverkusen confirmed on their official website on Monday that an agreement had been reached with Madrid for the teenage forward to return to Spain.

Carlo Ancelotti's side are said to have seen off competition from Atletico Madrid and are reported to have the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season for €6million.

Bravo is expected to spend the 2022-23 season playing for Los Blancos' reserve side Real Madrid Castilla.

Carlo Ancelotti emerged with a sense of personal satisfaction after Karim Benzema's two late goals secured a 3-1 win for Real Madrid at Espanyol.

The head coach saw his substitutes come good in the closing stages of the game to pave the way for Benzema's heroics.

Regarded as a humble man, this time Ancelotti was happy to take credit for the decisions that saw him shuffle his Madrid pack in the second half of a hard-fought contest.

He brought off Luka Modric and Federico Valverde in the 58th minute, introducing Eduardo Camavinga and Rodrygo, before replacing Toni Kroos with Dani Ceballos.

Camavinga brought fresh vibrancy to the Madrid midfield, Rodrygo set up Benzema's first goal in the 88th minute, and Ceballos was fouled for the free-kick that led to a red card and Benzema's late clincher.

That final goal of the game came 10 minutes into stoppage time, after a marathon delay for the VAR to resolve the moment when home goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte clattered Ceballos. Lecomte was sent off and home captain Leandro Cabrera, a defender, took over in goal, Benzema taking advantage by firing home from the set-piece. 

"We won the game because of that energy. That of Camavinga, Rodrygo or Ceballos," Ancelotti said. "The game was slow and we changed it. Each game has its own story."

He said it was impossible to know how the game would have flowed had he fielded his substitutes from the start, allowing the likes of Modric and Kroos to come on and change the game in the second half.

"Sometimes team selection is a gamble and today I think the Real Madrid coach has gambled well."

The veteran Italian coach said Madrid had started brightly, as was exemplified by the sharp movement that brought about Vinicius Junior's early goal.

Former Madrid reserve striker Joselu equalised with his seventh goal in nine LaLiga matches against Los Blancos, before Benzema's double provided the late twist.

Three days after picking up the UEFA men's player of the year award, Benzema showed why he is earning such accolades at this stage of his career. He turns 35 in December but shows no sign of slowing down.

Benzema has scored 28 goals for Madrid in 2022 across all competitions, the joint highest of all players from Europe's top five leagues. It puts him alongside Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe, who snubbed a move to Madrid in favour of signing a new PSG deal in May.

In all, Benzema had eight shots, the highest of any player in a single game during the opening weeks of the LaLiga season.

The late show poured salt on Espanyol wounds, with the team from Barcelona having now failed to win in their last 10 league games, going back to last season.

Kroos told Movistar: "It's to be expected that we suffer against a great rival, also away from home. We controlled the game until their goal. We suffered a bit in the second half, but in the last 30 minutes we regained control.

"They looked tired and we took advantage of that. Winning away is not easy and we have done it three times in a row."

Madrid's first three league assignments have indeed come away from the Santiago Bernabeu, while work is carried out on the stadium, and wins over Almeria, Celta Vigo and now Espanyol have made it an ideal start.

Madrid sit top of the table but are joined on nine points by Real Betis, the team they host next Saturday.

Kroos says Madrid are braced for a busy run of games, as the Champions League group stage begins.

He said: "Every three to four days we are going to play against difficult opponents and there are always times when we are going to have to suffer."