Wednesday 21 October 2015 08:47, UK
Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez has hit back at Laurent Blanc’s claims that he is a defensive coach.
Benitez was appointed as Carlo Ancelotti's successor at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer and has enjoyed a good start to life at Madrid.
Madrid are yet to lose a match in any competition this season and have become a more solid defensive unit since the arrival of Benitez, conceding just two goals from eight La Liga matches and none from two Champions League games.
Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc claimed it would be a battle between two styles of football when his side welcome Madrid to the Parc des Princes in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
"I think Madrid are quite defensive but also efficient and let in few goals. We are going to see two separate styles. I want to have the ball and from what I have seen of Madrid they defend and go out on the counter-attack," Blanc said
But Benitez has refuted the Frenchman's claim and has denied that such statistics mean he is defensive.
"Our team attacks and if you look at the statistics they show that we attack and try and win games," Benitez said.
"My case is made by looking at the statistics from when I was at Chelsea, Napoli and Madrid.
"Here [in Spain] we are the side that is scoring most goals. If we have to attack then we will do and when we need to defend then we are able to do that. Basically we are an attacking side."
Madrid travel to Paris in the midst of an injury crisis with Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and James Rodriguez all out.
However, Benitez is confident that Luka Modric and Sergio Ramos will return.
"Modric has been brought here because we think he is fit. We will now have to see how he is in training," he added.
"Sergio knows that if he has an injection then he will be able to play but after that he will have some pain."