Zinedine Zidane: I know my players are up to the challenge

Zinedine Zidane: I know my players are up to the challenge

1
SHARE

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane says he knows his players are up for the challenge of overturning the 2-0 deficit against Wolfsburg tonight in their Champions League quarter final tie.

The 10-time winners have it all to do after last week’s shock defeat against the Bundesliga outfit but are confident of doing so on the home turf.

Speaking to the media ahead of the game, French boss Zidane said he was concerned the players may be nervous about what lies in store but after seeing the focus and determination in their faces throughout the past week he knows they are up for the task.

He stated: “We’re going to be together. The players know the game that we have to play. What worried me the most was seeing the players’ faces, but I’ve seen that they’re up for it and they know what is ahead. This releases pressure. We’re 2-0 down, we have to score, but there’s 90 minutes or more to do that. The message is to be patient. In La Liga we were 13 points with the goal from Barcelona, now it’s 4. Everything happens in football.”

He added that they need to get the balance right between attacking and getting an early goal, and not conceding – something that would mean they require four goals to qualify for the semi finals.

He said: “We know that if we want to have more chance, we have to keep a clean sheet. The players know it. Above all what we have to do is play football. They’re going to start strongly with a high intensity. We’re going to go with the same intensity and what will decide it will be the ball. The battle and all that is good, but what we have to do is play football.

“A goal against would complicate things, but that can happen. We have to be patient and focused. We have 90 minutes, we have to be fully in the game. We know that we can score goals and we have to be careful. To play will is to defend well, balanced and focused, not only scoring goals.”

1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY