Real Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka (L) with Jose Mourinho takes notes while watching Manchester United beat Everton at Old Trafford
Real Madrid assistant coach Aitor Karanka has revealed the Champions League now takes "centre stage" after the club thumped Sevilla 4-1 on Saturday.
Priority was immediately refocused to the team's home encounter against Manchester United, despite Cristiano Ronaldo's hat trick inspired rout of the La Liga rival at the Santiago Bernabeu, reports Goal.com.
"We have shown we still want to win every league game," Karanka told reporters after the match. "However, the Champions League takes centre stage now."
Ronaldo was hauled off with 20 minutes to go, preserving the Portuguese superstar's energy reserves ahead of the fixture against his former side.
"Ronaldo's fine. He works hard and has to play. He deserves it [the hat-trick]," said defender Pepe. "The team works hard every day. Today, we went all out. Every game is special, but on Wednesday we will have to keep it up."