Zinedine Zidane was beaming with pride in his post-match press conference after Real Madrid rolled to an impressive 3-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. Here is everything the gaffer had to say about the big night.
All quotes come via the Real Madrid official page.
Opening Statement
"“This has been a great night. We can be satisfied with how the game went. We played well from start till finish. We kept hold of the ball and pressed them well. It was a great result and we’re happy.”“We have to congratulate the team because it was their united front that got us the win. I think we deserved the win after the work we’ve done, all the preparations we’ve made. It was a case of great teamwork and once again they showed why they’re all important. The fans were key too. They kept pushing from minute 1 to minute 90, even when we conceded that goal.”"
Thoughts on the Champions League and Real Madrid’s past success
“This club has 12 European Cups and that means a lot. this is such a prominent competition and we want to prove time and time again that this club values this. We showed it for the full 90 minutes. We coped well, both with and without the ball.”
We defended well, with aggression and rhythm. The Champions League really has a place in this club’s heart. We played 90 stunning minutes against a top rival. That’s all that we’re concerned with. We have to turn our attentions now to the return leg, that will be entirely different.”
Nothing but praise for Cristiano Ronaldo
“If we speak about Cristiano Ronaldo it is complicated, I always end up making the same point. You can never rule him out on big nights like these and tonight he showed that with two goals.”
“I’m going to keep working and trying to get performances like tonight. The players have given everything and you have to be happy. The second leg is away, and we will have to have a great match and play with a lot of intensity. We look forward to putting in a big performance in Paris.”
Thoughts on Isco’s performance
“He was looking to create superiority in the middle of the park and he has played phenomenally, not only with the ball, but without it in the second line. He covered at lot of ground and was key, especially at the beginning. In the end we changed the system because PSG could not play that way the whole game. We went for width with Lucas and Asensio, and Gareth up top, and it went well.”
His thoughts on the refereeing of the match
“I’m not talking about the referees. We have done well against a very good opponent that can cause you problems. Today we won an important game but the second leg is going to be very difficult. Away from home anything could happen. Today we are very proud of everyone.”
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Thoughts on Marcelo’s big performance
“He defended very well and attacked more than expected. The idea was for Nacho to stay and Marcelo to play higher. We’re happy with his performance and everyone else’s.”
My thoughts
For the first time in a few month, Zizou was not only beaming in his post-match press conference, but throughout the match.
Hasan Karim of The Real Champs commented during the match that he had not seen Zidane as animated on the sideline all season. And it’s true, the manager was energetic for the entire match, motivating his players, barking out instructions, and even celebrating the third goal with Marcelo.
Zidane is exactly right when talking about Cristiano Ronaldo. CR7 rises to the occasion in big matches and it is silly that critics continue to doubt his ability. Some said Cristiano was washed up and could no longer be a Ballon d’Or contender or leader at Real Madrid.
Clearly they were wrong.
I think, based on what Zidane said his role was, Isco was magnificent on Wednesday. The ‘bandy-legged bandit’ moved seamlessly between the midfield and forward lines and made a huge difference as a free roamer.
Next: Real Madrid 3 – 1 PSG: Match review from the Champions League
One thing I was really impressed by in the second half was Zidane’s decision to put on three attacking minded players with the game tied 1-1.
The Frenchman has so often been criticized for not substituting the right players at the right times, but not tonight.
Marco Asensio, Gareth Bale, and Lucas Vazquez swung the game in Real Madrid’s favor late on, and had it not been for the substitutions, this match could have very easily ended in a draw.