Guillem Balague believes that striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will play a key role in Real Madrid's attempt to prise the Primera Division title away from rivals Barcelona's grasp.
The Dutch frontman has had an unhappy time at the Bernabeu to date, struggling for goals and coming in for criticism from Real's demanding fanbase. It resulted in the 25-year-old being excluded from their Champions League squad and declaring he wanted to leave.
But speaking to Revista De La Liga, Balague feels his recent form - three goals in two games - has shown manager Juande Ramos what he is capable of and could prove vital in Real's quest to cut Barca's lead at the summit.
"I remember talking to Juande Ramos when he first arrived and saw him at training a couple of times," revealed Balague. "Ramos was shaking his head, thinking 'I'm not sure about this guy'.
"He has now changed his mind completely. The team has improved; you've now got crosses coming in from the full-backs - who are now full of confidence - and other players behind him such as Raul and Sneider are providing him with better service.
"In the last few games Raul has decided - off his own back - that since Arjen Robben and Guti aren't available, he's going to play that playmaker role. Huntelaar is happy with that, and all of a sudden he is starting to look like Ruud van Nistelrooy."
Meanwhile, Graham Hunter believes that Real Madrid can challenge for both Primera Division and Champions League honours.
The Spanish giants are seven points behind Barca in the league and outsiders for Europe's top prize but Hunter feels that their hunger for success will see them contest for both competitions.
"I think there's an obsession at Real Madrid with fighting back," said Hunter. "They've proved they can do it before. Remember how far behind and woeful they looked under Capello. They have practically the same squad, if anything it's a little bit better because the impact of Lassana Diarra has been absolutely enormous. That seven-point gap is there to be turned over.
"The Champions League is also an obsession for Real Madrid. They're going to have to do what Barcelona have done for the past five or six weeks and play on all fronts, playing three games a week. They'll want to win both trophies."
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