Real Madrid sports director Predrag Mijatovic says their title push is on after yesterday's 6-1 thrashing of Real Betis.

Mijatovic, whose future at Real has come into sharp focus, said: "The players were very aware of the significance of this game. We knew the importance of this game because Barcelona were facing a very difficult Catalan derby.

"We won easily and must maintain this form for the remainder of the season.

"We were a little afraid before kickoff. We have the Liverpool game and wanted to avoid injuries, but also Betis had played very well against Barcelona."