Champions League all that's left for Real Madrid, concedes Carvajal

The Blancos have been dumped out of the Copa del Rey by Leganes and are well off the pace in La Liga, with Europe now their only chance of salvation

After a shock Copa del Rey elimination at the hands of Leganes, Dani Carvajal believes Real Madrid’s only hope for further glory this season is the Champions League.

Madrid crashed out of Spain’s domestic cup competition in the quarter-finals on away goals on Wednesday, as they went down 2-1 to Leganes at the Santiago Bernabeu, prompting an angry response from the supporters.

Despite having won the Supercopa de Espana, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup this season, the pressure on head coach Zinedine Zidane was already mounting, with Los Blancos sitting 19 points adrift of Barcelona in La Liga.

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Carvajal insisted Madrid will not throw in the towel and will try their hardest to retain the league title, but thinks a third straight European triumph is more likely.

“La Liga is complicated, but we are going to fight,” he told beIN SPORTS.

“The leaders are many points ahead and we are going to try. The only competition we are still alive in is the Champions League and we are going to fight for it.

“We know the fans are angry with us. We do not deserve to be cheered. We are not up to what the badge demands. It doesn’t feel good. Now we have to reverse the situation.

“We are in a difficult moment, we must work more than ever and we must get back to winning ways.”