Tuesday 7 March 2017 16:34, UK
Terry Gibson fears Zinedine Zidane will be fired by Real Madrid if they fail to win La Liga this season.
A defeat to Valencia and a draw with Las Palmas in the last four matches has allowed Barcelona to move top of the table by one point - and if they win April's Clasico then the destiny of the title is in the hands of Luis Enrique's side.
Real Madrid, who beat Eibar 4-1 on Saturday, have led the title race for much of the season and Sky Sports' Spanish football expert Gibson says he does not want to see Zidane lose his job.
But he fears the axe might be inevitable if he fails to land a major trophy.
He told La Liga Weekly: "He probably would be fired [if they don't win the league]. We're basing that on history and previous managers who in some cases have won things and been fired.
"I don't think we've ever given him credit for being a tactical genius. We have compared him to the man he worked for before, Carlo Ancelotti, and he has kept a squad of players happy and content, which isn't easy at Real Madrid.
"He certainly hasn't reinvented the wheel in terms of the style of play of Real Madrid. There's not an awful lot of difference from previous managers, but we shouldn't underestimate his achievements.
"Do I think he should get the sack if he doesn't win the league? No, of course not - and I actually think they will still win the league.
"But the question wasn't whether I think he should, the question was will he? It's highly probable that if Real Madrid don't win the league, then he would lose his job."
Karim Benzema scored twice in the first 25 minutes on Saturday as Real secured an impressive 4-1 win at in-form Eibar, despite the absence of Gareth Bale.
And Gibson believes Zidane's side will now get their title charge back on track after a tough February.
He added: "Eibar even rested players against Real Sociedad and set their sights on a challenge to Real Madrid, but it wasn't forthcoming. Real Madrid blew them away.
"That was a more impressive result than Barcelona's, away from home on not the best playing surface against a decent team that was going into the weekend seventh in the league. That was an impressive result.
"Real Madrid in crisis? Let's not blow it up out of all proportion.
"Every team during a season will have a little blip and Zidane will be hoping that's their blip done and dusted now."
