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Real Madrid defender Alvaro Arbeloa has hailed Zinedine Zidane as the ‘perfect coach’.

The Frenchman took over the reigns at the 10-time Champions League winners last month after Rafa Benitez’ sacking and has since overseen five wins and a draw in his six games as boss.

Los Blancos face a big test tonight in the Champions League when they take on Roma in the first leg of the last-16 tie at the Stadio Olimpico.

Ahead of the game, Arbeloa took time out to hail the new boss who he described as his ‘idol’ while growing up.

In quotes published on the club’s official website, Arbeloa stated: “He was my idol when I was a kid. A few years later he was a teammate, and now he’s my coach. He trains alongside us, and we want to learn from him. He’s the perfect coach for Real Madrid.”

And he went on to add: “When I look at him sometimes I am left open-mouthed because he’s a special player, and I have to tell myself that now it’s normal, he’s my coach and I think that that’s positive. I feel privileged to be playing here, in the best team in the world, and in a city like Madrid. I feel at home here.”

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Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane says the Champions League is a very special competition for him and he wants to win it as manager of Los Blancos.

The Frenchman leads the club in the tournament for the first time since taking over as manager when Real take on Roma in the last-16 clash.

As a player, Zidane won the tournament in 2002 when Real beat Bayern Leverkussen in Glasgow. His goal in that final is considered to be among the greatest ever scored in the competition’s history.

Zidane was also present as assistant manager in 2014 when Los Blancos defeated Atletico de Madrid 4-1 to win the Champions League for the 10th time.

At his press conference on Tuesday, he told reporters he holds the competition in high regard.

“The Champions League is special for the club, for me,and for all of the players. We are aware of the tradition that we’ve got in the Champions League, so let’s see how we get on. The most important thing is that we are ready for all of the games, and we are ready. Physically, we are in good shape and we’re going to give our all”.

“We need to keep on performing as we have been recently. We need to make a strong start, we know that will be difficult though. Roma are a good side and away from home it’ll be difficult. We’ve had a good week and we’re ready for the game,” he commented.

Having experience defeat to Italian side Juventus in the knock out stages last season, Zidane said he wants to forget the past and focus on his current squad.

“We’ll see home things go tomorrow, and then we’ve got the return leg. We want to get through, we’re going to give our all and we’ll see where it takes us. The past is in the past and we’ve got to look forwards and see just what we’ve got to do to get through the tie,” he stated.

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Real Madrid turn to Champions League action tonight when they face Roma in the last-16 of the competition.

Los Blancos breezed through their group and were the joint highest scorers over the first six games. The come into this match tonight on the back of five wins and a draw in the six games since Zinedine Zidane took charge and should be confident of getting a positive result to take back to the Santiago Bernabeu in three weeks time.

However, the 10-time winners of the competition were knocked out by Italian opposition last year and will want to avoid a repeat this time round.

Roma have had some heavy defeats in Europe in recent seasons – most recently the mauling at the Camp Nou earlier this season. But with a new manager in charge and the team in good form, it could be a tricky test for Real.

We spoke to Italian football expert Paolo Selvatico about Roma and what we can expect this evening. Here’s what he had to say:

1 – So Paolo, give us a brief overview of Roma’s season so far and what kind of form are they in coming into this game?

Thanks Paul for giving me the opportunity to comment such interesting match.
Roma’s season so far has been contradictory and full of ups and downs. They started very well and after 10 matches were leading  Serie A with 23 points but then in November and December they had several negative performances and results that saw them fall away. They were also knocked out in Italian cup by Spezia – a Serie B team.

After the change of trainer, when Spalletti replaced Garcia, things are getting better. They have won the last four matches and currently they are 4th, 10 points behind league leaders Juventus. They are also coming into this game with a good level of form.

2- Is there any significant team news ahead of the game – any major injuries or players missing?

No major injuries but there are still some doubts on the starting team. De Rossi has recovered from injury and he trained with the rest yesterday but I’m not sure if he’ll play from the start. It’s more likely that he will start from the bench and Keita will play in midfielder together with Pjanic and Nainggolan. Also for the right back position there are two players competing Florenzi and Maicon. It’s a similar story for the left forward role too with Spalletti set to pick one of Perotti or El Shaarawy.
3 – They were thrashed in at the Nou Camp earlier this season against Barcelona. How much will that result play on their minds coming up against Spanish opposition again?
Unfortunately, in the last few years, Roma has not got a positive track record against top European teams. Not only they were thrashed this season against Barcelona but also last season against Bayern (1-7 at home) and few seasons ago against Manchester United (7-1). However, each match is different and players will be fully focused on this match so I don’t think the defeat will play much on their minds, at least at the beginning.
4 – Who are the dangermen in the Roma side that Real need to look out for? 

I believe Dzeko. Real’s central defenders are strong but not always very confident if they face the right level of pressure. Thus Dzeko could be very important in that regard. Of course he will need to be well supported from Salah, Nainggolan and others.

5 – Can we expect a fairly cagey affair with a focus on not conceding the away goal or will Roma want to take a lead to the Santiago Bernabeu to try to defend?

Roma need to take a lead if they want to have a chance to progress to the quarter final. If you play only focusing on not conceding the away goal to Real, you will probably lose because Real has players that can score in any situations.

6 – Madrid are unbeaten under Zinedine Zidane and have scored 23 goals in their past 6 games. They’re unbeaten in the Champions League this season and are the joint highest scorers. Do Roma have a chance?

Nainggolan stated that “we need a miracle to win” and I agree. Real is much stronger and for sure the favourites but Roma will have chances if they play both matches at the maximum of their potential and maybe if Real underestimates them a bit.

7 – Which Madrid players do you most fear ahead of the game?

For sure Ronaldo, even if Spalletti just mentioned that they won’t prepare any special treatment for him. But Real has several other good players (personally I really like Isco) so for sure there is not only one player to watch out.

8 – What’s your prediction for the match?

Too difficult to predict. I just wish it will be a good game to watch with several chances and the team who plays better will win. Of course, as an Italian I hope that the result will be the same as it was during season 2007-2008 last-16 of Champions League when Roma defeated Real winning 2-1 both at Olimpico and Bernabeu. They were totally different teams but Luciano Spalletti was Roma’s coach also that time, so he probably knows how to play effectively against Real.

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real madrid football tactics

Zinedine Zidane is expected to display his usual starting eleven as Real Madrid take on Roma in the last-16 round of the Champions League.

The only doubt for the Frenchman is whether to include Marcelo, who has just recovered from a shoulder injury, or lineup Danilo as right-back and move Daniel Carvajal to the left, just like he did last Saturday against Athletic Bilbao.

Despite this is a very important game, Zidane doesn’t seem willing to risk Marcelo, and he has admitted the Brazilian will only play if he is 100% fit. So Danilo will most likely start again, with Carvajal featuring as left-back. Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane will be the centre-back pair one more time, since Pepe has not recovered on time for this game.

With Gareth Bale still on the sidelines, James Rodriguez will start in midfield alongside Isco, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. As usual, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo will be the forward pair, with Keylor Navas starting on goal.

This is Real Madrid’s projected XI: Navas; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; James Rodriguez, Modric, Kroos, Isco; Benzema, Ronaldo.

Luciano Spalletti has the only doubt of Daniele de Rossi, who has recovered from an injury and is not completely fit. Yet, the midfielder is expected to feature from the start.

This is Roma’s projected XI: Szczesny; Manolas, De Rossi, Rudiger; Florenzi, Pjanic, Perotti, Keita, El Shaarawy; Nainggolan; Dzeko.

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roma real madrid preview

Real Madrid have put their hopes in the Champions League, given that their chances to catching Barcelona in La Liga seem smaller every week.

Thus, Los Blancos visit to Roma will be crucial for Zinedine Zidane, who will very likely complete another trophy-less season if they also fail in the European competition.

The French manager has recovered Marcelo for this game, although there are some doubts that the Brazilian is completely fit after suffering a shoulder injury. Zidane has said he will not line him up unless he is 100% fit, so Danilo could start again at right-back, moving Daniel Carvajal to the left.

On the other hand, Zidane will miss Pepe and Gareth Bale. Both of them were expected to recover on time for this match, but they still remain on the sidelines. Raphael Varane will replace the Portuguese one more time at centre-back, while James Rodriguez will feature in Bale’s spot.

This will be Zidane’s first Champions League match as a manager. Just like Real Madrid, Roma also dismissed their manager during the winter transfer market, and Luciano Spalletti will also make his debut in the competition this season.

The Italian manager will recover Daniele de Rossi and Francesco Totti, although the playmaker is not expected to feature from the start. The 39-year-old has only started twice for Roma this season.

Possible line-ups:

Real Madrid: Navas; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; James Rodriguez, Modric, Kroos, Isco; Benzema, Ronaldo.

Roma: Szczesny; Manolas, De Rossi, Rudiger; Florenzi, Pjanic, Perotti, Keita, El Shaarawy; Nainggolan; Dzeko.

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Cristiano Ronaldo stormed out of a press conference ahead of Real Madrid’s match against Roma after becoming riled by questions over his goalscoring record away from home.

The club’s all time record goalscorer has netted 32 goals in all competitions this season – 21 at the Santiago Bernabeu and 11 away from home. He is the highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 88 goals in 121 games and broke the record for the number of goals scored in the group stage just this season when he netted 11 times in six games.

The 31-year-old was asked about his form away from home at the moment – he has not found the net in four away performances for Los Blancos since the trip to Eibar on 29th November.

Angry at the line of questioning, he responded: “Who else has scored more goals away from home than me since I arrived in Spain? Name one player who has scored more than me? No answer? Ok. Thank you everyone.” He then left the press conference.

Prior to that incident Ronaldo had spoken about the match against the Italian side and said Real were in good form and confident.

“The team is playing well. We’re doing a really great job. We’ve been training well, playing well, winning our games and scoring lots of goals. Our chances of winning might be 50-50 right now, but when the game gets underway tomorrow these figures will change. We’ll have to wait and see,” he stated.

He also praised Roma legene Francesco Totti as an example for all young players to follow.

He commented: “He’s impressive. He’s an example for everyone to follow, and he’s shown that age isn’t important in football. If he’s feeling good, and he’s able to play at the level he’s playing out, that’s great for him, for the game itself and for young people because it shows that there are no limits in football. Although, once you pass 40, perhaps there are.”

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Roma captain Francesco Totti may not go straight back into the team for tomorrow’s clash with Real Madrid and could have a bit-part role, according to new boss Luciano Spalletti.

The 39-year-old forward, who has made almost 748 appearance for his club since making his debut in 1992, missed three months of the season through injury, only making his comeback in mid-January.

Since then he hasn’t held down a regular first team spot and Roma go into the game on the back of a four-game winning run that has seen them move up to fourth in the league.

As a result, boss Spalletti is keen to keep the momentum going and pick his best players for the match. He warned Totti that he may need to get used to playing a less prominent role for now.

Speaking to Madrid-based daily AS he stated: “I am the coach of Roma, not Totti. My primary objective is to get results, and to do that, I must make decisions based on current performance, not a player’s history.

“I believe Totti and I have a fine relationship, but you’d have to ask him for his point-of-view. Of course he is a player who can make things happen while on attack, but his qualities also depend on our opponents as well.

“He can create the perfect pass, but it’s hard for him to then sprint back 40 meters if the team is pressed. Right now, Roma cannot base itself on the legacy of one player.”

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Barcelona’s hopes of playing the Copa del Rey final at the Santiago Bernabeu have been dashed after it was confirmed music legend Bruce Springsteen will perform at the venue on the same day.

The Catalan outfit had wanted the showpiece event on the 21st May (it could be moved to 22nd May if Sevilla reach the Europa League final) to be held at the iconic stadium in the Spanish capital – but the dates clash with when Springsteen is in town.

Officially, Barcelona had wanted the final to be played at the Bernabeu because it is the largest stadium other that their own and can accommodate 90,000 fans. The location, roughly equidistant between Barcelona in the north east of Spain and Sevilla in the south made it an obvious neutral venue for the final to be played.

Unofficially though the Catalan outfit were determined to have the final played their so they could celebrate in the back garden of their fierce rivals should they be victorious. Los Blancos president Florentino Perez had steadfastly refused to have the game held at the stadium though, prompting ex-Barca chief Joan Gaspart to call on him to reveal his reasons why.

Atletico de Madrid’s Vicente Calderon or Valencia’s Mestalla stadium, both of which have held the final in recent years, will now be the next best choices for the game to be played at.

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Roma midfielder Seydou Keita says his team mates should not be scared of playing Real Madrid in the Champions League and believes the Seria A side can get past the Spanish giants.

Los Blancos visit Italy on Wednesday for the first leg of of their last-16 tie before the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu in three weeks time.

Former Barcelona midfielder Keita said his team mates have nothing to fear against the 10-time Champions League winners who have found some form under new boss Zinedine Zidane. The former World Player of the Year has overseen five wins and a draw since taking the reigns last month following the sacking of Rafa Benitez.

“We have to play with confidence, take to the pitch and believe that we can do well. The coach will work hard to prepare us in the best possible way. It will be a difficult game, they are a great side, but not an impossible one. No team is unbeatable,” Keita told the club’s official radio station.

He added: “We are in a good period of form, we have won our last four games and the team is improving. We are on the right path in order to finish the season strongly.”

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Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema says boss Zinedine Zidane has given the players boost since taking over last month.

The 1998 World Cup winner took over from Rafa Benitez in January and head steered Real to five wins and a draw in his first six games. The team is playing with much more confidence while the players look relaxed and happy in training – a stark contrast to the final days of the short Benitez reign.

“He was a top player and now he’s a good coach. He offers the team a lot – he gives us confidence and his ideas on how to play, and that’s all positive for us. I’m learning a lot from him every day. And it’s not just me. That goes for the whole team, because he knows a lot about the game,” Benzema told bwin ahead of the Champions League match with Roma.

Asked for his thoughts on the match itself against the Seria A side, Benzema said they should not underestimate their opponents but will be confident of progressing.

“We are Real Madrid, and for me we’re the best team in the world and we’ve got the best defenders in the world. Roma will be going out to get the win, because it’s an important game and they’re at home. But we’ll also be going there for the win, because we know that what happens in the first leg is crucial if we want to get through,” he commented.

 

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