Real players deserve praise, says Benitez

Valencia - Madrid team still four points adrift of leaders Atletico

Under-fire Real Madrid boss Rafael Benitez claimed his side deserved more credit after holding on for a 2-2 draw with 10 men away to Valencia on Sunday.
Benitez was badly in need of a win on his return to Valencia, where he won two La Liga titles in three years, to ease the constant speculation surrounding his future.
Yet, his side were left with an uphill task when Mateo Kovacic was shown a straight red card 20 minutes from time after Karim Benzema's early opener had been cancelled out by Dani Parejo's penalty.
A brilliant header form Gareth Bale briefly gave Madrid hope of a huge three points in the title race, but barely a minute had passed before Paco Alcacer salvaged a point for Valencia. "The question (about my future) only looks at the result, but the effort shown by the team deserves more praise than anything else," said Benitez. A point leaves Real still four points adrift of leaders Atletico Madrid and two behind Barcelona having also played a game more than the European champions.
Benitez has been publicly backed by Madrid president Florentino Perez, but media reports in recent weeks have suggested French legend and the club's reserve team coach Zinedine Zidane could be promoted to the top job at the Bernabeu if results don't improve. "I can't avoid other people speculating. All I can do is ensure the team works like it did today," said Benitez.
"The players put in a huge effort and unfortunately it wasn't enough for the three points."
A draw also left Gary Neville still without a win after four La Liga games in charge of Valencia.
However, the England coach believes his side are moving in the right direction and stated his desire to stay on at the club beyond his current deal until the end of the season.