Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane believes "intensity" is key for Real Madrid as they look to build on a 6-1 La Liga victory against Real Betis after drawing their previous four games in all competitions.
Speaking at a news conference ahead of Legia's visit to the Bernabeu on Tuesday evening, the France international said he and his teammates aimed for a similar performance against the Polish champions who have no points and no goals from their first two Champions League group games this season.
"To win at Betis is never easy," Varane said. "To score six goals even more. We feel good, played a good game with a lot of intensity, which has helped our confidence.
"We want to keep going with this intensity when we play, to play the same way right from the start. [Legia] will play as well as they can, try and cause us problems. We must give everything and play with a lot of intensity -- go out to win the game and score goals."
Following the Betis result, the statistic most quoted in the Madrid media has now changed from the team's four straight draws to their 22 games unbeaten in all competitions -- the longest run across any of Europe's top leagues.
"There is no secret [to the unbeaten run]," Varane said. "The important thing is to work hard, then you can achieve what you want.
"We want to win games, to keep playing well. Four draws were not a crisis, we always believed in what we could do. The team has talent and we know that with a lot of work we will get good results."
While avoiding defeat, Madrid have kept just two clean sheets in 11 games so far this term, and Varane said that as a team they could defend better at times.
"Defending is for the whole team -- from the forwards to the goalkeeper," he said. "We all have a role in the defensive work. In the last games we have defended well, been united. Sometimes the other team plays well too, you must say that. I don't think we are defending badly, we can improve, of course, but we are all clear about what we must do to defend together."
Varane has started nine of those 11 Madrid fixtures this season - scoring twice in his last three appearances -- as well as all three of France's World Cup qualifiers to date after missing last season's Champions League final and the European Championship with a thigh injury.
"From the start of the season I have felt very good physically," he said. "I did good work all summer and I have the faith of the coach.
"I'm very happy here [and] with France too. I'm very relaxed at the moment, although I try and improve every day. It's always a plus when a defender scores goals. In this respect I can improve too, score more goals, and I'll work on that, as if I can get more it's better for the team."