Football

Zidane reveals Real Madrid hunger after UCL semi final qualification

Real Madrid's French coach Zinedine Zidane gives instructions during the UEFA Champions League Group B football match Inter Milan vs Real Madrid on November 25, 2020 at the Giuseppe-Meazza (San Siro) stadium in Milan. (Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP)

Real Madrid’s French coach Zinedine Zidane gives instructions during the UEFA Champions League Group B football match Inter Milan vs Real Madrid on November 25, 2020 at the Giuseppe-Meazza (San Siro) stadium in Milan. (Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP)

  • Zinedine Zidane says Real Madrid are hungry for more after UEFA Champions League semi final qualification was secured on Wednesday.
    Real defeated Liverpool 3-1 on aggregate following a gutsy 0-0 draw in the second leg quarter final at Anfield on Wednesday night.
    It is the first time since 2018 that Los Blancos have booked a semi-final berth in Europe’s top club competition.
    The 13-time UCL winners who are only a point adrift of city rivals Atletico Madrid with eight games remaining in LaLiga, have qualified for the semi-finals of the European Cup/Champions League for the 30th time – at least 10 more than any other team as Chelsea await in the final four.
    Zidane led Madrid to three consecutive Champions League titles between 2015 and 2018, and after eliminating Premier League holders Liverpool and the Frenchman says motivation within the ranks is not missing.
    “We’re all pulling together and this side always does that and it always wants more.
    “We’ve not won anything yet, but we’re alive in Europe and the LaLiga.”
    Without the likes of captain Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane at Anfield – Madrid benefited from Liverpool’s wastefulness after the likes of Mohamed Salah, Georginio Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino all had chances.
    Madrid, who seized control of the tie thanks to Vinicius Junior’s first-leg brace, weathered the storm – the Spanish giants have now progressed from 11 of their 12 two-legged knockout ties in the Champions League under Zidane, with the club’s only elimination coming against Manchester City in last season’s round of 16.
    “We were up against it and we knew we had to suffer tonight, but in the end we got what we wanted, which was to go through,” said Zidane, who has reached the Champions League semi-finals for the fourth time as a coach, more than any other French manager in the history of the competition – surpassing Arsene Wenger.
    “I think we handled the game well, we rode the storm and can be proud of our display.
    “We knew they’d start fast and they were really good in the opening 15 minutes, but that’s normal. In the quarter-finals of the Champions League you have to dig in and we did that and got through.”
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Sammy Wejinya

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4 years ago

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