VALENCIA, Spain -- Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti warned his players not to get carried away after Saturday's 5-0 La Liga win at Levante, as they travel to Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday before next Saturday's clasico at home to Barcelona.
Madrid had struggled in recent visits to the Ciutat de Valencia stadium, but the result was never in doubt here as the visitors strolled to victory with two goals from Cristiano Ronaldo in addition to efforts from Javier Hernandez, James Rodriguez and Isco.
The result means Los Blancos now head into their biggest week of the season to date having won their last seven games in all competitions, scoring 32 goals and conceding five.
The Italian coach told his post-match news conference that his team must not forget that such good results have been based on his players putting in the hard work and sacrifice that allowed their undoubted talents to flourish.
"We are on a good run, but we must think that behind all those goals we have battled and been concentrating well," Ancelotti said. "That is the most important thing, the sacrifice needed so that you can then win the games through your talent. We are now well prepared physically and mentally."
Ancelotti admitted that he had been concerned that his players did not lose focus on this fixture, coming after the recent international break and ahead of the midweek trip to Anfield.
"We are coming into it well. This was a difficult game to prepare. We played very well -- very serious, very focused," he said. "That's why it came out well. Now we have time to prepare for Wednesday's game."
Ronaldo's first-half penalty and second-half solo strike mean the Portugal captain is the first player ever to score 15 goals in the first eight weeks of a La Liga season. Ancelotti said such figures were difficult to improve upon.
"Cristiano cannot do more than he is, in this moment. It is impossible," he said. "We can only ask him and help him to keep going like this."
Potential issues for Madrid ahead of the coming week are the muscle problem that had seen Gareth Bale miss the game, plus the knock picked up in the second half by Luka Modric.
"[Bale] had a problem with his gluteus [buttock muscle], and was not comfortable, so we preferred not to play him today," Ancelotti said. "It was not rotation, it was to avoid risks. Modric got a bang; now we will have some days to weigh up his situation. The same with Bale, [Karim] Benzema, [Sergio] Ramos and [Raphael] Varane, all those who did not play in this game."
Ancelotti said those squad players who came in against Levante -- including goalscorer Hernandez, home-grown centre-half Nacho Fernandez and 20-year-old debutant Alvaro Medran, who came off the bench -- had shown they can be relied upon when required.
"They all showed we have a very competitive squad," he said. "Players who had played less through the first part of the season played well, they are motivated and comfortable with the team's style."