Real Madrid didn’t have the best of starts to the year, after losing to Villarreal and Barcelona, in the La Liga and Super Cup respectively.

Former Real Madrid striker Fernando Morientes has however rejected claims that the Los Blancos are in crisis.

After a poor start to 2023, Morientes maintained that things like these happen in football, and he backed Madrid to bounce back and have a good season.

Ahead of Thursday night’s Copa del Rey tie with Villarreal, Morientes said: “Until October, Madrid devastated with a nucleus made up of Kroos, Modric, Valverde and Vinicius. But after the World Cup, everyone has slowed down, including the two full-backs, who are no longer deep.

“If half the team fails you, it’s not so strange what happened…

“There are many determined to bury Madrid. It almost always happens in January and then the month of May arrives and they win the Champions League. A little respect for Madrid, a champion team that always gets up.

“Their players always show their faces and what happened on Sunday (Supercopa defeat to Barcelona) may serve as an incentive to have a great season from now on. Burying Real Madrid prematurely does not seem like a good idea to me.”

Madrid indeed showed that they are far from finished, as Carlo Ancelotti’s men came from behind to beat Villarreal 3-2 at the Estadio de la Ceramica.