Real Madrid is close to another final
The French coach of Real Madrid had warned that they know of "the strength of this team" but that they will "try to control what they do well." Prior to Wednesday’s game, Zidane had told that he believes that "there is no favoritism”. And the white team got an important victory in foreign soil.
After Real Madrid’s victory over Bayern in the first leg of the Champions Leage semifinal, few dare to argue that Madrid is ninety minutes from Kiev by fortune, casuistry or banal eliminations. PSG, Juventus and now Bayern, the white team have beat them all in their home, knowing how to suffer and executing their enemy at the right time. Last night, before the Germans, it happened again: "We believe, and we like to play in these scenarios," Zidane explained, continuing his lapidary reflection of the previous day: "We do not shit in our pants".
A message to some team in particular? Truth be told, Madrid showed personality and hierarchy, in a match where it did not shine. They prioritized team work before a Bayern that had more opportunities which in the end, did not pay off. The host manager, Heynckes, was understandably angry: "The two goals of Real Madrid were superfluous. We conceded gifts”. Muller, delved into the wound: "We were very naive. The first goal is strange and the second is an individual error. We wasted many occasions”.
Zidane acknowledged that his team was not fine in the first half, with problems between lines facing James and Thiago, but exonerated Keylor Navas of the responsibility of Kimmich's goal, for the Frenchman a global error: "It's a failure in the chain. At the start of the play we are not well placed and then we suffer a consequence of mistakes, not just Keylor. In the second half he made three very good saves, and everything comes out of him, from his mental strength”.
The entry of Asensio in the second half, due to slight problems in the shoulder of Isco, gave a new impetus to the white team, more energic after the goal of Marcelo. As he did last year, the Spaniard was decisive in the Allianz: "He’s vertical, he has speed... he makes a difference", assured Zidane. "He ends plays like a crack," explained Lucas, the assistant. The protagonist was more measured: "If there are compliments it means that I am doing my job well, but the important thing of the goal has been the victory".
The German side acknowledges they could not translate the general statistics of the match and the overall dominion of the game into a victory. But they are encouraged by Juventus 0-3 at the Bernabeu for the coming match.