Real Madrid hailed as 'The Wall' after Rafa Benitez's side concedes just two goals in his first 11 games this season
- Real Madrid have been hailed for their defence under Rafa Benitez
- Lionel Messi claims he does compete against Cristiano Ronaldo
- Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff has been diagnosed with lung cancer
- AC Milan boss Sinisa Mihajlovic reportedly has two games to save his job
- Underplayed Paulo Dybala has been urged to leave Juventus
While Real Madrid are usually associated with playing the beautiful game, the club has been hailed for their defensive solidarity since the arrival of pragmatic coach Rafa Benitez this summer.
The 10-times European champions have conceded only two goals in their first 11 games this season - at a rate of just 0.18 goals per game - making them the best defence in Real Madrid's history and prompting Marca to label them 'The Wall'.
According to AS, Brazilian midfielder Casemiro is partly responsible for the team's new-found defensive nous. The 23-year-old returned from a loan spell at Porto and starred in Real's Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain - stopping 11 attacks by the French side.
Marca have labelled Real Madrid's defence as 'The Wall', while AS claim Casemiro is reason for their solidarity
Casemiro starred for Real Madrid in the goalless draw PSG in the Champions League, stopping 11 attacks
Despite Cristiano Ronaldo recently breaking Raul's all-time scoring record by netting his 324th goal against Levante, the Portugal star's nemesis Lionel Messi claims the pair are not concerned by their rivalry, saying: 'I do not compete with Ronaldo and suppose he feels the same'.
The Barcelona superstar, who is currently sidelined by injury, also states that he is 'happy' at the Nou Camp.
The Spanish press has rallied around another Barcelona legend, Johan Cruyff, who has been diagnosed with lung cancer - with Mundo Deportivo urging the Dutch master to 'keep your head up'.
Meanwhile, in Italy, Sinisa Mihajlovic's position as AC Milan manager is under threat after losing four of their opening eight league games to languish in 13th place in Serie A. Milan supremo Silvio Berlusconi is reportedly running out of patience - with La Gazetta dello Sporto claiming the Serb has two games to save his job.
Sinisa Mihajlovic reportedly has two games to save his job, while Paulo Dybala isn't getting game time at Juve
Dybala has been sparingly since his £30million summer move and has been urged to leave Turin
The curious case of Paulo Dybala is also attracting attention. The forward signed for Juventus in the summer for a fee that could rise to almost £30million yet he has been used sparingly by coach Massimiliano Allegri.
La Gazetta dello Sporto claim statistics prove he should be given more playing time since he shoots and scores more goals than others in Allegri's team.
Tuttosport have reported that Dybala's former chairman at Palermo, Maurizio Zamparini, has sent the 21-year-old a text telling him to leave Turin as Allegri is 'ruining' him.
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