Rafael Nadal talks about Real Madrid crisis, refuses to discuss controversy around Espanyol-Barcelona derby

Tennis world No.1 Rafael Nadal claims there is a "solution" for the current crisis at Real Madrid, but refused to discuss about the headlines surrounding Gerard Pique following Barcelona's 1-1 draw against Espanyol.

The Spanish capital club were forced to settle for a point against Levante in the last league tie. Zinedine Zidane's players were on course to seal three points at Estadi Ciutat de València before Giampaolo Pazzini's 89<sup>th minute equaliser saw Real walk away with a point.

Real are now sitting in fourth spot with 38 points after 21 games, trailing league leaders Barcelona by 19 points. They are also a point behind third place Valencia with a game in hand. Zidane has seen his side fail to keep a clean sheet in the last six league fixtures.

"Does Real Madrid have a solution? Everything has a solution. There are things that cost more," Nadal told Mundo Deportivo.

Leganes knocked the 12-time European champions out of the Copa del Rey in January. Real's hope of retaining the title remains slim, especially with Barcelona continuing their unbeaten form in the league. Real's only realistic chance of winning silverware this term is to win the Champions League, where they face Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16.

Meanwhile, Barcelona settled for a point against their local rivals Espanyol on 4 February. Gerard Moreno gave the hosts an early lead at the RCDE Stadium before Pique's 82<sup>nd minute header helped Ernesto Valverde's side equalize.

The two Spanish teams faced each other for a third time in less than a month. Barcelona and Espanyol faced each other in the Copa del Rey quarter-final clash. The Camp Nou outfit progressed to the last four after a 2-1 aggregate score.

Pique referred to the Blanquiazules as "Espanyol from Cornella", which angered a lot of Espanyol players and their fans. They even reported the former Manchester United defender to Royal Spanish Football Federation.

The defender was seen hushing Espanyol fans after he scored the equaliser on Sunday. La Liga president Javier Tebas has criticised Pique for his celebration, while the player defended his reaction.

When asked about the Pique incident, Nadal said: "I will not say, that's what you are for. You fill pages and pages and always talk about the same thing.

"It's a football game, a show, a derby. Obviously it was not as good as it could have been, but it was an exciting and vibrant duel."