Real Madrid may be unbeaten and top of LaLiga in 2016/17 but fixing the cracks will require more hard work, according to Lucas Vazquez. A willing runner himself, the winger knows that the whole XI must do their bit in protecting Los Blancos' leaky defence. "A team is based on everyone working," Vazquez told COPE. "Both the midfield and BBC have to help the defence, it doesn't matter if we feel like they're untouchable." Often put forward as a long-term replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, the 25-year-old stated that he's more focussed on retaining a consistent spot in the starting XI. "I get mad and feel useless when I'm not playing," he admitted. "But we must do our best to help the team when we're not in it. Zidane talks to me and tells me he trusts me and likes me as a player. "I'm a lucky guy, I do what I like most and get paid for it." Now on Spain duty, Vazquez knows that perhaps his toughest test of the season will come after the international period when Real travel to Atletico Madrid. "In big games we always give a little extra, certainly in the derby," said the midfielder. "[Diego] Simeone is a great coach and it's a big game for our LaLiga title hopes."
The 'AML' strikeforce of Marco Asensio, Alvaro Morata, and Lucas Vazquez has launched ahead of their prestigious teammates in less time and with less experience of playing together. While Cultural Leonesa were hardly staunch opposition on Wednesday night, the trio made use of the Copa del Rey clash to stride past the 12 goal tally of BBC by racking up 13 of their own in 2016/17. Despite being largely restricted to the bench, Morata and Asensio have six goals apiece alongside Vazquez's strike past Legia Warsaw in the Champions League, to push past the four goals held by each of Benzema, Bale, and Ronaldo. It can be easy to dismiss BBC's woe in the face of considerable fitness woe, but it's worth bearing in mind that Asensio hadn't properly pulled on a Real jersey until the UEFA Super Cup in August, whilst his equally youthful teammates have both spent plenty of time away at other clubs. For Zidane, it serves as both a positive in terms of having a wealth of options over the short and long-term, as well as a big quandary in denying either in-form youngsters or big-name beasts a spot in the starting XI.
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