Real Madrid Train Under A Veil Of Secrecy

Ahead of their Champions League fixture with Liverpool, Real Madrid will train behind closed doors for the first time since Juande Ramos took charge back in December. The Spanish tactician is an expert when it comes to knock-out competitions, utilising the same technique when he coached Sevilla so successfully three years ago.

Ramos wants to ensure that his men are not distracted by reporters in the lead-up to the big game. It is also believed that Ramos wants to conceal his tactics for Wednesday’s vital clash.

The media had a mere 15 minutes to watch the training session yesterday before they were asked to leave. Monday and Tuesday will closed to the press entirely, and the usual training reports on Real Madrid's official website will not be published.

Los Meringues are in stunning form at the moment, winning nine consecutive games and scoring ten goals in their last two outings. One player who has particularly stood out is captain Raul, who has broken all of Alfredo di Stefano's records in the build-up to the clash against Liverpool.

Ramos will have some selection headaches before the game on Wednesday night. Arguably his biggest problem comes on the left flank, where he must choose between Marcello and Wesley Sneijder.

Shutting out the media is a very positive step for los Blancos, who seem to be focusing on footballing matters rather than the usual off-the-pitch merry-go-round.

Ramos' technique will be essential in keeping his tactics as a surprise for Rafael Benitez’s Reds, in addition to avoiding any possible leakage of information to the outside world.