Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has urged Cristiano Ronaldo to shrug off any criticism from the club’s supporters ahead of the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Roma tonight.
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Trailing Barca by 12 points with only 10 league games to play and having been turfed out of the King’s Cup after just one game for fielding an ineligible player, Real’s sole focus has turned to winning an 11th European Cup. “Thinking about this match and the advantage that Real Madrid have, Dzeko has more chance of helping us given what our approach will be”.
‘First of all, teamwork; secondly, we don’t waste time on things that have no place in football – because he was a player and he knows what a player thinks and wants on the pitch; then, the togetherness in the group‘.
The 31-year-old, who scored four times in the second half on Saturday in a 7-1 La Liga mauling of Celta Vigo, fired past a helpless Szczesny after an excellent piece of skill and cross by Vazquez, before teeing up Rodriguez to finish off the Italians.
Real Madrid host Roma in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday evening trading as bet365’s massive 1/100 favourites to capitalize on their 0-2 first-leg lead in order to progress into the quarter-finals; they are 2/5 favourites to win on the night.
With crucial playmakers Toni Kroos and Luka Modric both back from injury, Real Madrid are favourites to continue their fine goal-scoring form and secure a sixth consecutive UCL quarter-finals appearance.
“There’s one idea. It’s the same – it’s to always defend when we don’t have the ball and try to do damage when we have it. It will be hard to pick the team but it’s better having all your players available”.
“All coaches are demanding, but I ask for the impossible”, said Spalletti.
“Ronaldo has peaked. He will still score, but his influence is missed in bigger games, so let’s see if he can prove me wrong”.
Gareth Bale also looks set to reinforce Real Madrid against Roma after a promising return from injury at the weekend.
Indeed, Roma have won their last seven Serie A games since coach Luciano Spalletti’s return to the club in January to propel themselves back up to third.
Roma were trailing 2-0 from the the first leg, but created enough chances during the first half to be at least on level terms as Edin Dzeko and Mohamed Salah missed great openings. But, scoring would be easy for them as Los Blancos are not a tough defensive team.
“I think we’d need a classic centre forward tomorrow more than a false nine”. We mustn’t be weak mentally and play to lose. He did not include central defender Antonio Rudiger in a 21-man squad for the trip, while holding midfielder Radja Nainggolan is doubtful with a groin problem and Daniele De Rossi is still unavailable.
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“We are weak and at the first sign of difficulty we can not be the team that we need to be”.
