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Real Madrid have completely turned around their season since their defeat at the hands of Shakhtar Donetsk earlier this month. Zinedine Zidane's men have won all six of their games since that loss, and qualified for the knockout rounds of the UEFA Champions League on top of their group.
Real Madrid sit 2nd in the La Liga, tied with leaders Atletico Madrid. But they were in a dire situation at the beginning of the month, being on the verge of elimination from the Champions League, which is almost inconceivable for a club of Real Madrid's stature.
According to Marca, the sudden change in Real Madrid's fortunes was because of a meeting that the senior players in the squad had with manager Zidane. It was reported that earlier in the season, some players in the squad weren't happy with Zidane's team selection. The players decided to air out their grievances with the manager after the defeat against Shakhtar Donetsk.
According to the report, a group of the squad's senior players, including club captain Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Casemiro, and Toni Kroos met with Zidane to discuss the team's tactics. They said that the club should stick to playing in a set formation and with a core pool of players for their following run of fixtures.
This meeting has obviously had an impact on Zidane's team selection, as the Frenchman has barely made any changes to his starting XI, barring injuries or suspensions. The Real Madrid boss has opted to play the same group of players for all six fixtures since the defeat in the Champions League, and Madrid have come away with victories in all those games.
Real Madrid will look to continue their hot streak after the break
The La Liga winter break couldn't have come at a worse time for Real Madrid, as Zinedine Zidane's side had just started to hit their stride. Their talismanic striker Karim Benzema was also in a hot run of form, scoring 6 goals in six games, and putting in excellent performances against the likes of Sevilla and Atletico Madrid.
Real Madrid come back from the holiday period with a trip to Elche, who lie in 16th in the La Liga, as Zidane's men will hope to continue their march towards defending their La Liga title.
