AS.com

Iker Casillas has declared that Real Madrid will expect a difficult route to the quarter finals of the Champions League, regardless of who they are drawn against in the last 16.

In an interview with Real Madrid TV, the Madrid captain also analysed the club's next opponents in the league, Real Valladolid, and spoke about the team's objectives for the coming months.

Valladolid. "It's going to be a very difficult game. It's a difficult place to go and their fans are loving being in the Primera División again. Valladolid play good football and come into the game on the back of a huge win over Sevilla. I think Saturday's game will be very difficult and they're going to make things very difficult for us."

Goals for the season: "We are still on course to meet all the objectives we set at the start of the season. The problem is the gap between us and Atlético and Barcelona is very large, even though we beat Atleti last weekend. On the other hand, we have managed to get into the second round of the Champions League and we have difficult opponents coming up. But we'll have time between now and February to prepare for it. Now we just want to focus on the league and close the gap between us and the teams above us, and get even further in the Copa del Rey."

Celta and Espanyol: "We have three games in a very short space of time but now we cannot afford to lose another point in the league. Against Celta [in the Copa] we want to make our mark on a game that is bound to be wrought with difficulties, after they gave us a tough game in the league in October. They are back in the top flight after some time away and their fans will really be up for the game in Vigo. We've got a very difficult week which will finish against Espanyol who have had a difficult time recently but now have a new coach."