With Mendy replacing Marcelo, Madrid is winning with defense

During Real Madrid's traditional team dinner before the winter break in Spain, France left back Ferland Mendy discovered he had an insightful "Secret Santa".

Mendy's anonymous Christmas present turned out to be a brick.

The brick was meant as a joke, but one with a point. It was that Mendy plays with an intense determination to stop attackers from advancing down his side of the pitch.

"That gift of the brick was because during practice he sometimes gives us some very hard knocks," fellow defender Raphael Varane said on Saturday, after Mendy was one of Madrid's top performers in a 1-0 win over Atltico Madrid.

"It was a little joke. We know how good a defender he is. He is in great shape. He is incredibly strong. He is adapting well to the team and helps it in every facet."
"People come to see their team playing well, fighting. I know we cannot always play brilliantly. Today was tough but the way people talk about the team after the game is down to the way we play. We got our reward today against a top rival who plays well."
LIVERPOOL OR BUST
"All we can do is keep working to try to get out of this uncomfortable situation."