'The first leg is done,' says Zidane before the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Bayern

Record ID: 645376

  • Title: 'The first leg is done,' says Zidane before the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Bayern
  • Date: 17th April 2017
  • Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (APRIL 17, 2017) (REUTERS) REAL MADRID PLAYERS DIVIDED IN TWO GROUPS PASSING THE BALL FORWARD KARIM BENZEMA DURING SESSION STRIKER CRISTIANO RONALDO TRAINING GOALKEEPER KEYLOR NAVAS AND MIDFIELDER CASEMIRO CASEMIRO AND LEFT BACK MARCELO JOKING / MARCELO GOING TO THE CENTRE MIDFIELDER TONI KROOS VARIOUS OF REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE ATTENDING TRAINING SESSION MIDFIELDER ISCO ALARCON RUNNING PLAYMAKER JAMES RODRIGUEZ CHASING THE BALL MARCELO ON THE FLOOR, RIGHT BACK DANILO CHASING THE BALL CASEMIRO AND BENZEMA LAUGHING AS MARCELO STANDS UP AND CHASES THE BALL / MARCELO AND CASEMIRO JOKING ISCO AND CENTRE BACK RAMOS TALKING DURING SESSION ISCO AND FORWARD LUCAS VAZQUEZ CHASING THE BALL REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE AND MIDFIELDER CASEMIRO ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE SAYING: "We have to be really strong and try to win the match as we always do. We will not speculate, we will not think there was a first leg. The first leg is done, we have the second leg and we know the difficulties we will have because Bayern, if they play home or away, don't change a lot. It's a team that gives you trouble all the way to the final whistle. We know that, we have one match to play our best." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE, SPEAKING ABOUT FORWARD GARETH BALE MISSING THE MATCH, SAYING: "He has some discomfort that is affecting him but I hope it is nothing and he comes back to us in a few days. He will not be with us tomorrow because we don't want to risk it so he should be back with us soon. He is looking forward to coming back, to be with the group and as I said, he has worked a lot and he deserves to be with us for the final part of the season." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) REAL MADRID COACH ZINEDINE ZIDANE, ASKED ABOUT THE THREAT OF ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI, SAYING: "About Lewandowski, you know the kind of player he is, we know is a real nine (striker) and it's a plus for Bayern to have him but he's only one Bayern player. So I am not worried because all of the team is good everywhere across the pitch, so we will have to be ready and focused on what we have to do." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) REAL MADRID MIDFIELDER CASEMIRO SAYING: "We know Xabi Alonso has huge quality, he's the player that commands Bayern Munich's midfield. I learned a lot about him when he was here and I wished him the best when he left. Obviously I don't want to wish him the best for tomorrow and I hope he doesn't have a good match so we can get the victory of course." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) REAL MADRID MIDFIELDER CASEMIRO, ASKED HIS TEAM WERE THINKING ABOUT THE EXPLOSIONS IN DORTMUND LAST WEEK, SAYING: "No, we are so focused on the match that we don't even think about it. Real Madrid has an exceptional security system with a lot of professionals in charge. Obviously you get to worry because they are football players like us but we were so focused on the match and on what we had to on the pitch that what happened in Borussia didn't affect the team." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS ZIDANE LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM
  • Embargoed: 1st May 2017 13:56
  • Keywords: Zinedine Zidane Real Madrid
  • Location: MADRID, SPAIN
  • City: MADRID, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Soccer,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016CSD64F
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said on Monday (April 17) they must forget the first leg when they host German champions Bayern Munich on Tuesday (April 18) in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final after the defending champions beat Bayern 2-1 last week in Munich.
    Real Madrid's struggling defence will probably have to keep Bayern Munich's deadly striker Robert Lewandowski at bay in the Bernabeu to reach the Champions League semi-finals, and Real have injury and yellow-card problems too.
    Pepe broke two ribs in this month's Madrid derby with Atletico and misses the Bayern game along with French centre-back Raphael Varane who still has a hamstring problem. That leaves Sergio Ramos and Nacho Fernandez as the pairing at the heart of the defence for Real.
    Forward Gareth Bale will miss the match with a calf injury. Zidane said he did not want to risk Bale's health and the forward would probably rejoin the squad in a few days.
    Midfielders Toni Kroos and Luka Modric and captain Sergio Ramos are one yellow card away from being banned from the first leg of the semi-final - should they reach it.
    Brazilian midfielder Casemiro praised his former team mate Xabi Alonso, now playing for Bayern. The Brazilian waved away concerns about security, following last week's explosions affecting the Borussia Dortmund team before their Champions League match.
    Casemiro said his team was so focused on their match that they had not thought about the security issue.
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