GIJON, Spain — Cristiano Ronaldo has little time to mope as Real Madrid delivers some group therapy to help him recover for a must-win match at Sevilla, with the Spanish champion needing to keep the pressure on leader Barcelona. After helping Portugal to consecutive victories, Ronaldo quickly reaffirmed his commitment to Madrid 10 days after saying he was “feeling sad” there for professional reasons. “My focus is solely on winning every game and every available trophy with the essential company of my teammates and all Madridistas,” Ronaldo said in a statement Wednesday, when he trained with his teammates and reportedly sat down with coach Jose Mourinho to discuss the situation. “Everything has been exaggerated way too much,” midfielder Xabi Alonso said Thursday. “He's just the same as he was 10 days or two months ago. What we see in the dressing room is totally different from what is seen outside and he looks totally normal. He's relaxed, smiling like always.” Madrid will certainly hope Ronaldo is relaxed and not focused on contract squabbles as the team is already in a panic as it trails Barcelona by five points after just three games, and Sevilla has a victory and two draws to start the season. Ronaldo's off-field difficulties remain the talking point of club football in Spain, which has allowed teammate Karim Benzema's poor start to the season to be ignored. The France striker has yet to score through five games, while fellow striker Gonzalo Higuain has been in great form with six goals this season including two with Argentina in World Cup qualifying. Madrid's irregular start has worried Mourinho, even if his team has won seven straight matches against Sevilla. The pressure is on the Spanish champion to win a 10th Champions League trophy this season. “If I detect that someone doesn't understand this, as a coach I have means of preventing that,” Mourinho said. “For example, if someone reserves themselves in league play with the Champions League in mind, then he may get a surprise and not play in the Champions League.” PSG banks on Ibrahimovic Zlatan Ibrahimovic has not taken long to settle into life in Ligue 1 after joining Paris St Germain from AC Milan and the Sweden striker is fast becoming a nightmare for his opponents after just three appearances. Ibrahimovic has already scored four goals for PSG with doubles against Lille and Lorient and next opponent Toulouse fear it will be the next victim. “When you face one of the three best players in the world, in spite of anything you have prepared, if on that day he is the genius he can be, there is nothing you can do,” Toulouse coach Alain Casanova said. “Unless you chain his feet and blindfold him, it's hard to stop him.” — Agencies
