“We did not start the game well”, Zidane told Real Madrid TV. He just wants to play like everyone else and is going to offer us what he has.
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“We must be focused on what we have to do ourselves because we play before their game”, explained the French coach.
The visitors had missed their last two spot-kicks – Bruno culpable at Malaga and Alexandre Pato against Real Sociedad – but Bruno’s kick could not have been more composed, beating Casilla with a Panenka-style chip down the middle in first-half stoppage time.
“They trained normally and were fine, 100 percent”.
Atletico Madrid seemed unaffected by the news that Diego Simeone and the club had agreed to reduce his contract by two years, as goals from Antoine Griezmann and Kevin Gameiro within the first five minutes put Atletico 2-0 up at home to Sporting Gijon.
Real suddenly looked far more threatening than at any stage in the first period, with Ramos seemingly having abandoned defensive duties to keep Villarreal penned in their own half.
Barcelona lost Lionel Messi to injury and a chance to beat a title rival on Wednesday, when it was held to a 1-1 draw by Atletico Madrid in the Spanish league.
However, in the very last minute of the first half, Sergio Ramos, again with a handball, committed penalty.
“They are both good”, Zidane said.
Before the half was even three minutes old, Real found the equalizer.
Madrid leveled nearly immediately after the break when Ramos atoned for his error by heading the equalizing goal from a corner and in the 48th minute Benzema should have done better than head wide from 10 yards out.
Real Madrid was unrelenting and carved out yet another chance just after the hour mark.
Ronaldo was largely starved of service and was penalised for a foul when getting on the end of a Marcelo centre before firing an ambitious long-range effort off target in the 32nd minute.
Another header was guided off target by Benzema and the Frenchman made way for Alvaro Morata, but there was no way through despite Zidane utilising his full array of forward options.
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It was the only one of 17 corners that the hosts converted, with Ramos also unable to persuade the referee to award Real a late penalty as he fell under the challenge of Roberto Soriano.
