Atletico Madrid visit the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday evening for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid, but Zinedine Zidane is urging his players to approach this week’s match as if there’s no second chance.
Los Blancos are famous for European comebacks, but the Frenchman doesn’t want to travel to the Estadio Vicente Calderon next week needing a win.
“We know how important this match is,” the coach said in his pre-match press conference on Monday. “We must assume there’s no second leg and play well from the first to the last minute of this match.
“We must only think about [Tuesday’s] match and not about the return leg.
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“Our fans will be with us, just like they were last weekend.
“They have helped the team a lot, they are an advantage and we need them.”
He also dismissed the notion that Real Madrid are the favourites and that their past victories over Los Colchoneros in this competition would have an influence.
“We aren’t the favourites as this is a semi-final and it’s 50-50,” he said. “You can’t dwell on what’s gone before as what has happened, has happened.
“They have caused us difficulties, but so have many teams. Their strength is that they never give up, no matter what happens.
“[Diego Simeone and Mono Burgos] are doing a phenomenal job.
“They always fight and use their weapons the best way possible, but we also have our own weapons and will focus on our game.”
One part of Real Madrid’s game which has been heavily criticised is their leaking of goals and the Frenchman admitted he was aware of the issue.
“I don’t think we’re easily conceding goals, but it’s true that we are conceding,” he said.
“We’re not keeping clean sheets like we did last year.
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“As always, the important thing for us is to score one more than our opponents.”
As for whether or not Real Madrid have practiced playing with 10 men for fear of a Casemiro sending off, Zidane defended his midfielder.
“No, we haven’t trained with 10,” he said in reply to that question.
“Casemiro is a physically strong player and I’m not going to ask him to change his style of play.”
Asked about his future and whether he’d continue as coach, Zidane similarly dismissed that question.
“The only thing I’m thinking about and concentrating on is [Tuesday’s] match,” he said.
“I’m not even thinking about Saturday’s match.
“I don’t know what will happen later on and it doesn’t interest me.”
It was also put to Zidane that Cristiano Ronaldo might be the best finisher in history, but the coach was wary of rating the No. 7 ahead of his ex-teammate Ronaldo Nazario.
“Obviously Ronaldo is the best finisher I’ve had as a coach,” he replied. “Yet I’ve never played with him.
“I did play with Brazilian Ronaldo and he also scored a lot of goals.
“They both make me jealous because I didn’t have their goalscoring ability.”
Finally, the coach revealed that Raphael Varane is fit enough to play, even though he was left out of last Saturday’s Valencia match.
