Real Madrid: Zinedine Zidane calls Ronaldo’s goal “one of the most beautiful in the history of the game”
By Ben Sundock
Zinedine Zidane could not have been happier with his team’s performance Tuesday night in Turin as Real Madrid dominated Juventus 3-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal. Here is what the manager had to say after the match.
All quotes come via the Real Madrid official website.
Thoughts on Cristiano Ronaldo’s second goal
“It’s one of the most beautiful goals in the history of football. I’m Real Madrid’s coach but I’m also a football fan. When I see something like that… it’s only natural to put your hands on your head. I’m thrilled for him. He’s a unique player because he’s capable of these kinds of things.”
I’m happy for Cristiano Ronaldo and we’re happy to have him in our team. It was a spectacular piece of skill. The home fans applauding Cristiano at the Juventus Stadium is a big gesture. They were behind and they kept cheering their team on. This kind of thing doesn’t happen everywhere.”
How does the goal compare to his own in Glasgow back in 2002?
“You can compare them but mine was more beautiful. This one is fresher in the mind and so is more significant. That’s what Cristiano Ronaldo is all about. He does things that only he can do. Buffon was right, you have to tip your hat to these players.”
“Juventus enjoyed some good spells, in which they put us under the cosh, but we held firm. The 3-0 away win might flatter us a bit but the performance merited a result like that. We can be very pleased with our night’s work. Winning 3-0 away to Juventus doesn’t happen all that often.”
Thoughts on Isco’s performance
“He put in a big performance and I’m delighted for him. He’s got real character and is a player who always wants to play. He did a great job in between the lines. The first goal was all down to him. He sat in behind Ronaldo after Karim came off and did excellently.”
“I’m really pleased for him and the team as a whole. It was all down to Isco, Cristiano too and Marcelo as well… It’s a team effort and that’s what you need to put in a performance like we have done tonight.”
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Why did Gareth Bale not get a chance to play in this match?
“He didn’t feature tonight because others played and he performed a different role for the team. Gareth will get his chance. He didn’t play tonight but we’ve got a game on Sunday and he has to be ready for that one.”
Looking to the future
“I’m just focused on our day-to-day work. I don’t look to the future because anything can happen. You can never say never. I feel very much at home at Madrid. At this club it’s all about the results and as long as we continue to deliver them, I’ll remain here.”
My thoughts
Zizou was quick to shut down the speculation that Ronaldo’s goal was better than his in the Champions League Final in 2002 against Bayer Leverkusen. I have to agree with the manager and former player in this particular instance because not only was it a final, but the way in which he hit it and the distance he hit it from was incredible.
Take a peek for yourselves.
Isco deserves a lot of credit for his play in this match because he was back to the Isco of last season with his crafty dribbling and free roaming abilities.
While I think Gareth Bale would’ve performed well in this match, it was a very smart move from Zidane to leave him out. This was a tactical battle and Zizou came out on top once again against Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri just like in last year’s final.
Funny enough, this was the same starting XI that featured in the final in Cardiff and nearly the same tactics were deployed by the French manager Tuesday (this coming after he said the first leg would be nothing like the final in June).
Next: Juventus 0 – Real Madrid 3: Quick recap of the dominating UCL win
This is a huge win for Real Madrid and they can dedicate more of their resources and focus to the La Liga match Sunday against Atletico Madrid. The tie is not over by any means, but a three goal lead heading home is huge.