Cucurella: The Bernabeu, the "impregnable fortress", always imposes its aura

"We felt a little fear in Rome, but we knew how to turn things in our favour"

Marc Cucurella, the Real Madrid full-back, has praised his side's performance during the 4-1 win over visitors Sevilla in the ninth round of matches in the Spanish league.

Marca newspaper carried the full-back's comments to Real Madrid's channel after Sunday evening's thumping win at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Cucurella said: "I think we played a good match from the start, and we knew when to control the play and when to play at a quicker tempo. We produced an outstanding 90 minutes."

He added: "When you win, everything becomes better and easier. We felt a bit of fear in Rome in the Champions League, but we knew how to turn things around in our favour."

Then came the bigger picture: "Turning things around helps us realise that we always have to give 100% of everything we have. Everyone played their part, and this is the path we should keep following."

On home advantage, he noted: "Playing at home? It is extremely important, because it is not easy to play here. It is a stadium that always commands respect, and it becomes even harder given the quality of our players. If we turn the Santiago Bernabeu into an impregnable fortress, things will become easier."

Eder Militao's comeback from injury also drew praise from Cucurella. "He has proved he is a player with a very strong character. The most important thing is that we are all available."

He pointed out: "The more players we have, the better. This is a team sport, and a match involves 11 players against another 11, as well as the players on the bench, and everyone must contribute during the minutes they play."