Madrid defending worries Cannavaro

Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro believes Real Madrid CF will have to improve defensively if they are to win a tenth European crown this season. Speaking after the 2-2 draw at S.S. Lazio on Matchday 2, the FIFA World Cup-winning defender hinted that the Merengues might do better to sacrifice Spanish flair for Italian solidity at certain times.

Hot reception
"Lazio were really up for it," he said. "They gave us a hard time in defence and can be well pleased with their performance. To be honest though, we didn't play at our very best and made a few errors. We'll speak to [Bernd] Schuster about it in training. We lost balls when we were up and this meant it made life a lot easier for them. But the mistakes are not the fault of individuals or midfielders – they're shared among us."

Style counsel
Following an imperious opening half hour on his return to Italy, Madrid's defence appeared to split apart as Lazio launched a wave of intense pressure after falling behind. Twice Ruud van Nistelrooy put the Spanish champions ahead only for Goran Pandev to equalise for the home side. "You could see the difference between the Spanish and Italian styles of play," added Cannavaro. "In Spain the game is played less through the central positions, and there are fewer physical confrontations. We always look to be balanced both in attack and defence, but I can't tell Van Nistelrooy to come back and defend. I can however ask him to hold his position so we are not stretched when defending. The philosophy of Real Madrid is to play with attacking midfielders so it makes it difficult for us to cover positions as well. OK, I'm a bit lazy but we should know when we have to be more solid."

Back up
With defenders Pepe and Christoph Metzelder both out injured, Gabriel Heinze was pushed inside to play alongside the Italian, while Sergio Ramos was allowed to raid down the right. "We've had a few injuries which has meant we've had to throw in some youngsters in big games," said the 34-year old, "but that can also be positive as Sergio Ramos' excursions down the right showed today."

Dreaming of Moscow
Despite the concerns, Cannavaro believed Real Madrid, who play fellow Group C leaders Olympiacos CFP on Matchday 3, were on course for a May date in Moscow. "I think we are good enough to win it," he added. "It will be important to qualify for the next round as group leaders so we'll have home advantage in the return leg. The next two matches are going to be crucial."