Real Madrid center-back Raphael Varane spoke to the press ahead of the second-leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Juventus. Madrid will host the Italian side, headign into the match with a 3-0 advantage.
The defender was prompted with an array of questions and topics to discuss ahead of the big match taking place Wednesday night. While Varane was left out of the first training session upon Madrid’s return back home from Turin last week, the Frenchman is set to play in the match. Here’s a look at what he had to say in preparation for tomorrow’s match.
All quotes have been taken directly from the Official Real Madrid page.
Opening Statement
"“It is set to be a huge tie against a top side. Anything is possible in football and they are going to be on the attack. We will be up against it, facing a rival who never give up. We’re not looking for a 0-0, we’re going to play our football, as we always do, and look to win”.“I need to be on form, performing at the top level. I’m a straightforward person. I know how to help my teammates. We need to be competitive and I’ll have to do as Ramos does: shout and be ready for anything. I’ll do that in the best way possible. It’s important for my teammates to be with me and stay competitive.”"
Self Progression
“I think I’ve changed since coming here. I’ve improved in many aspects and I have a lot more experience. I try to always improve and I think I’ve become a better player over the seasons gone by. I always try to learn from my teammates, from games and from errors, so that I can improve.”
On Cristiano Ronaldo
“He really is a lynchpin of the team. He has unique goal scoring qualities. It is normal to notice his absence, but we have other quality players who show it in every game. We have a competitive squad and I have faith in all of them.”
Casemiro in the back line
“If he plays in defence, we know each other really well. In training, he has played alongside me, and I know well how he defends and plays, like the other teammates. It really is vital to know each other and in such a demanding game communication is paramount so we stay on the same wavelength.”
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Vallejo’s first Champions League match
“He is doing well. He has no experience in the Champions League yet but he has some quality and I think that, based on what I have seen in training, he will be fine. I do not know if he will feature, but he has the quality and all the faith of the squad behind him if he plays. He is always driven and focused. If he plays I’m sure he will do well.”
Chasing three in a row
“We believe. We have great experience in this competition, but we have to think about tomorrow’s game, which will be a challenge. We’ll see what happens afterwards. We have to go step by step, but we know we have experience and quality, as we’ve shown before. We’ll take it bit by bit”.
Personal Injuries
“I’ve spoken about my knee injury for a long time. It’s fine now. It has been a hard injury to overcome. Today I know myself much better and I know what I have to do to feel better. I have bad experiences, strange sensations, discomfort, and that makes me know better how to train and be fresh today.I am a 1.90 metres tall and I need to do specific things to feel good. I control the physical aspect better, which is important for my game.”
Being a leader
“I am the way I am, I have my own personality. I’m not one of the most talked about, but when the going get tough I try to be set a precedent so that the group can count on me. I try to help out the youngest. I learn from my colleagues. We are used to the maximum demand, but at key moments I try to be reliable so that my teammates count on me.”
Thoughts on Gonzalo Hugain
“He is a sensational player. He forces defenders to be focused because he always creates dangerous situations. He is powerful and only thinks about scoring goals, he is a constant danger. I have fond memories of Gonzalo as a guy: he always tried to motivate the dressing room and I always wanted to play. He is a footballing man and a great player. I have good memories of him.”
Thoughts on Paulo Dybala
“He is a key player, we all know that, but he is not playing, so we are expecting other players who will perform at a great level. They have a very long and very complete squad. We know that any substitute will be at the right level. They will play an offensive team that are sure to pressure us and not let us have an easy ride.”
Thoughts on Gigi Buffon
“He is a true legend of the game. He is also a great person. I don’t know if this will be his last game, but he is an idol of mine. He seems really geared up for this. Who knows whether he will keep playing but it is an honour people like him, against top rivals.”
Next: On the resurgence of Keylor Navas at Real Madrid
My Thoughts
The stage is set, how it will go down is what everyone awaits. With Sergio Ramos absent due to suspension, the need for Raphael Varane to have a great performance is ever so important.
Varane will have to show up big in the back line to ward off a Juventus attack that will be coming out guns blazing. While Dybala is unavailable, Juventus are still dangerous in attack.
I do believe though that Varane possess the leadership qualities to direct his defenders over 90-minutes. The greatest challenge will be who pairs up with him in the center-back role. Varane and Ramos have a great understanding of one another, and the captain will be missed dearly.