MADRID • After a topsy-turvy campaign and a "tragic" week which saw their hopes of any silverware disappear, Real Madrid were all smiles again at the Bernabeu on Saturday after Zinedine Zidane's return as coach was celebrated with a 2-0 LaLiga victory over Celta Vigo.
The Frenchman brought Real's outcasts in from the cold and they repaid him with an encouraging performance.
Isco, who had not started a single league game under Santiago Solari, gave the Spanish giants the lead shortly after the hour and Gareth Bale got the goal his own committed display deserved to put sorry Celta out of sight.
Bale was teed up by Marcelo, who was also dropped by Solari but recalled, while Keylor Navas pulled off a superb save in the first half, having been brought back in ahead of Thibaut Courtois.
"Nobody can erase what these players have done," Zidane said about the players he recalled. "I will count on everyone."
The victory ended a run of four consecutive home defeats for Real who are now two points behind Atletico Madrid and nine adrift of Barcelona.
That deficit will surely prove too big to close, but Zidane's job was to restore morale in the 10 league games that are left and to find out what, and who, needs changing in the summer.
"My team talk was really simple," Zidane said. "I told them to have fun, to play, to run together and to be united when we don't have the ball. When we have it, let's have fun, and that's what we did."
"Happiness has returned to the dressing room and that's the most important thing," Real goalkeeper Navas told reporters.
"The past is the past, the group is working well. I don't know if we needed a change or not, but the club thought it was necessary.
"Zidane has spoken to each one of us individually and now we need to be professionals and work hard."
Real defender Alvaro Odriozola also spoke of a change in atmosphere with the return of Zidane, who is Real's third coach this season after Julen Lopetegui was sacked in October and Solari last Monday.
"We are all very excited, we have renewed hope after that tragic week," said Odriozola.
"We have to look to the future, end this season with honour and try to win the remaining 10 games. We have to stay focused on competing and not thinking about who is playing or who isn't. Instead, we all need to give 100 per cent."
Elsewhere, Atletico's faint title hopes suffered a setback with a 2-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao.
Atletico coach Diego Simeone admitted that his side were still feeling the effects of their Champions League last-16 collapse against Juventus, saying: "After the bad performance we gave in Turin, we struggled to get going and we couldn't create chances."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
Reds can deal with defeat well: Klopp, Football News & Top
Leroy Sane struck the winner as Manchester City beat Liverpool 2-1 in a gripping Premier League clash on Thursday, inflicting the first loss of the season on Juergen Klopp's side and cutting their
Thierry Henry's coaching stint at AS Monaco could already be over, with the club deciding to suspend the former France striker from his duties on Thursday while it makes a final decision on his
Henry set to lose Monaco job | Free Malaysia Today
Play at 'world-class' level, Poch tells Spurs LONDON • The star of the show was the stadium. It was as if Tottenham players were waiting until the second half when they were attacking the South Stand with its magnificent bank of 17,000 fans, before allowing themselves to feel at home, and Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen duly scored.
Play at 'world-class' level, Poch tells Spurs, Football News
Starting this blog has been an adventure. I have never been so intimately linked with a football club and its fortunes. There were certainly many ups and downs, thrills and spills. The Good. Gaining an understanding of the Club. Through my limited interaction with the Club's staff, i gained a minor insight about how running a football club works.
17 Aug, 2014 by DhakaTribune - Issuu
MANCHESTER (AFP) - Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri said he could not understand what happened after Manchester City crushed his side 6-0 on Sunday (Feb 10) - their biggest ever defeat in the Premier
Chelsea boss Sarri baffled by 6-0 humbling at Man City
Lionel Messi collected a record fifth Golden Shoe award on Tuesday for finishing last season as the top goalscorer in Europe. The striker scored 34 goals in 68 games for Barcelona, putting him ahead of Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Tottenham's Harry Kane.
Barca superstar claims record 5th Golden Shoe - Daily Nation
Football: Molde owners will support me if I stay at Manchester United, says temp boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (REUTERS) - Manchester United caretaker boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said the owners of Norwegian club Molde sent him to Old Trafford with their blessing and asked him to try to turn his temporary stint at the club into a permanent role.
Football news - Solskjaer: Molde owners will support me if I
Fabregas Completes Move from Chelsea to Monaco, Reunites With Henry Fabregas put pen to paper on a three-and-a-half-year deal at the Stade Louis II after passing a medical earlier in the day, as he teams up with former Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry on the Mediterranean coast.
Cesc Fabregas completes move to Monaco, reunites with Thierry
Son contemplated Tottenham exit until discussion with Pochettino. Son contemplated Tottenham exit until discussion with Pochettino. patience in football is difficult but always it's about
Son contemplated Tottenham exit until discussion with
With a more durable run-in than Arsenal - the Pink Devils nonetheless must play Metropolis and Chelsea - Solskjaer nonetheless has quite a bit to do. However, if he can get via these "six-pointers", they'll finish the time period with a flourish provided that their last two video games are in opposition to groups within the backside
Arsenal favourites with easiest run-in - theworldnews.net
Talking after the game against Wolves Harry Winks said, "We said before the game that it was must-win, so to come away with a defeat… everyone is fuming. "Listen, when people say that on social media, that is their own opinion, they are entitled to that.
Winks: Spurs players "fuming" at Wolves loss but denies
We're the same team even without Zizou, CR7, says Ramos In what was a week of misery for Real Madrid, the Sergio Ramos-led side were humiliated by CSKA Moscow in the Champions League at home
Even without Ronaldo, Madrid will not stop winning, says
Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Crystal Palace - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - April 21, 2019 Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette in action with Crystal Palace's Scott Dann Action Ima
Palace punish sloppy Arsenal in 3-2 win at the Emirates
Despite being regarded as possibly one of the contenders in the 2019 Singapore Premier League, Hougang United were handily beaten by Tampines Rovers 5-1. Things were especially difficult for the
LIVE: AIA Singapore Premier League - Tampines Rovers vs
0 comments:
Post a Comment