Real Madrid Cannot Drop More La Liga Points – Zinedine Zidane
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane says Sunday evening’s La Liga clash at Granada is a “must win” if his team want to remain in the title race.
Madrid could be seven points behind leaders Barcelona when they travel south to face 19th-placed Granada, should the Catalans win their lunchtime game at Levante on Sunday.
Los Blancos have hammered Deportivo La Coruna, Sporting Gijon and Espanyol at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu since Zidane replaced Rafa Benitez as coach in January, but they have won just one of their last five away games — and drew 1-1 at Real Betis a fortnight ago.
The galactico coach told his pregame news conference that his team needed to start at Granada with a different attitude as they could not afford to drop any more points now.
“It is a difficult game against a strong opponent,” Zidane said. “We must begin the game strongly. We must do things differently than against Betis. We cannot drop more points. Only a win is any good for us.”
Zidane said he expected a difficult game at Los Carmenes, where Granada have beaten both Sevilla and Athletic Bilbao in recent games.
“We know they will come out strong,” he said. “Against Betis we were not ready and when they score a quick goal against you it is more difficult. With the quality we have we can win the game. The key is to use that quality from the first minute. If we begin the game strongly, as we do at the Bernabeu, everything is easier.”
Asked if his mind had started to focus on the Champions League, where Madrid are at Roma in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie in 10 days’ time, Zidane said he would not think about prioritising Europe until La Liga was impossible.
“No, we will go with everything now in La Liga, we have time to prepare for the Champions League,” he said. “Only a win will do for us. We have faith in the players. They know the situation and know it is difficult as we are behind, but until we are mathematically out of it we will keep battling until the end.”
Gareth Bale is not in the Madrid squad as he continues his recovery from his latest calf muscle injury, and Zidane said it was important not to rush the Wales international back before he was fully ready.
“We have preferred to keep him out for a while,” he said. “He is better, but not fully recovered, it is better to do things well and go step by step.”
Zidane said he expected Cristiano Ronaldo, who turned 31 on Friday, to play on for many more years at Madrid.
“I have admiration for Cristiano,” said the Frenchman, who retired at 34. “Maybe he will play for longer than me, for sure he will. It is not that I did not look after myself, but he does it even more, physically he is a beast. He can play on for many more years, and hopefully at Madrid.”
Asked about the playing style of Barca star Neymar, and the Brazilian’s tendency to embarrass opponents with fancy tricks, Zidane said he could understand rival teams’ frustration but fans were entertained by such flourishes.
“I cannot say anything about him, he is that type of player,” he said. “There are people who like it, others do not. It is normal that when you do silly things, in front of an opponent, not everyone will like it. But it’s good for the spectacle. For the fans to enjoy themselves.”
