Real Madrid lost to Shakhtar Donetsk in their group stage opener and then saved a point away at Borussia Monchengladbach after a last-gasp comeback.
Los Blancos’ match against Inter is the final
Zinedine Zidane has revealed that many of Real Madrid’s games lately have looked like finals, but Tuesday night’s clash at home with Inter may go some way to determine if Los Blancos will make it to the knockout stages of the Champions League or not. Real Madrid lost to Shakhtar Donetsk in their group stage opener and then saved a point away at Borussia Monchengladbach after a last-gasp comeback. “We know our opponents, and it’s difficult,” Zidane said during a pre-match press conference on Monday. “They are a good team and very physical. And they play good football. Another difficult game for us. It is the final.”
Zidane lined up his first-choice front three of Eden Hazard, Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio against Huesca on the weekend, with a top-three already named as the HBA, but can they reach the heights set by the BBC of Gareth Bale, Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Nothing has changed with Luka Modric
“The players who are here always want to make history,” Zidane explained. “Those three – Hazard, Benzema and Asensio, which you just said, are important, and they do important things. I know that there is talk about changing things in the line-up, but what I see from the inside is that everyone wants to win and that is very good for the coach that I am at the moment. “I enjoy all my players, and we will try to reach our goals together with everyone.” Luka Modric saw himself alternating between the bench and the starting spot in lately, but it is clear to Zidane that it is not an easy decision for him to make. “Nothing has changed with Luka, we know what he is like for us,” he said.
Spanish football is no longer so dominant like it used to be
“There are many games, and we will rely on all the players. Luka does a good job every time he plays.” For a coach, this is the hardest part, especially with players like Luka. Choosing and playing, sometimes not playing… But Modric is crucial for us.” The humiliation of Barcelona in the Champions League last season and the oversights of Real Madrid so far in the edition of this season led some to state that Spanish football is no longer so dominant like it used to be. Still, Zidane believes that this is because the teams are better than they were before. “Football is becoming more and more equal,” he said. “There are no small teams. Football is getting harder and more beautiful. Anyone can win today. That’s why we are happy every time we win.”
A theme that never seems far away is that of the Frenchman’s future, but he claims it is far from his mind. “I don’t think about it, just about giving my everything tomorrow against Inter,” stated Zidane.