With Real trailing 2-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie, the Brazilian fullback headbutted Maximilian Arnold in the midriff before clutching his face and going down in an attempt to get the player sent off. “We know what we have to do to make sure the game isn’t hard”.
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Real Madrid will this weekend play host to to Eibar, with both teams returning to La Liga action at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Wolfsburg manager Dieter Hecking has slammed Marcelo, describing the Real Madrid defender as an “actor” after footage of his dive in their Champions League clash went viral.
Real went into the game buoyed by their 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the “Clasico” on Saturday and knowing the Champions League remains their best hope of silverware this season.
Zidane is expected to rotate his squad on Saturday, with Keylor Navas and Luka Modric rested and Sergio Ramos suspended, although Cristiano Ronaldo will start.
He said: “The only thing we can do is be calm”.
Marcelo was booed off the field by fans at Wolfsburg Arena, while Arnold, who scored the second goal, said afterward the incident was “part of football”.
“I told Marcelo he should leave the acting”, Hecking said.
Italian referee Gianluca Rocchi issued a yellow card to Arnold while Marcelo escaped punishment.
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Infuriated by the dirty act, Arnold stormed up to Marcelo with a choice word or two only for the Madrid player to take advantage of the confrontation and throw a disguised headbutt. “I won’t say whether we can or cannot [win the league]”.
