The head coach of Real Madrid Zinedine Zidane shared his thoughts on the upcoming match against Bayern Munich at yesterday's press conference and emphasized that the biggest help is expected from the fans.
Tonight at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final match between Real and Bayern will take place. The first leg in Germany ended with a victory for the Spanish guests with a score of 2-1, so Z. Zidane's players have the advantage in this match.
However, Z. Zidane is convinced that everything is not over yet in this tie, and they are facing very difficult matches against the aggressive ball-controlling Bavarians.
"Tomorrow we have a special match ahead of us, and the support of the fans is needed here more than ever. We always need them, and they are always with us," the coach mentioned about the so-called 12th player.
"We have to play a great match. Our goal is to step onto the field and fight only for victory, not to try to protect the result of the first leg. We know very well that Bayern will do everything to create as many problems for us until the last minute. However, we are determined to fight and win the match," added Z. Zidane.
The coach will be forced to play against Bayern without the injured Gareth Bale, so it is still speculated who will take his place. Among the possible candidates are Isco, Marco Asensio, Lucas Vazquez, and James Rodriguez.
"He is working hard to return as soon as possible. We hope Gareth will be ready for Saturday's match against Barcelona, and we don't want to take any risks yet. Isco is ready as well as the other team players, so tomorrow you will see who will take Bale's place. I cannot reveal that yet," Z. Zidane concluded.
Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti, returning to Madrid almost after two years, understands that they face difficult matches at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium and to reach the semi-finals, they must squeeze the maximum out of themselves.
"The first 60 minutes in Munich were successful for us, we controlled the game. Now we hope to do it for the entire 90 minutes. We must demonstrate a top-level performance and show character.
The result of the first leg was disappointing, but the fight is not lost yet. We know it will be difficult because Real will play in front of their fans. They score at least one goal in almost every match. Their attacks are very dangerous because they create opportunities from several passes. We must be especially careful in the penalty area, where Cristiano and Benzema are always waiting for the ball," explained the Italian coach.
C. Ancelotti also revealed that Robert Lewandowski is one hundred percent ready for these matches: "He feels good. Yesterday he trained with the team and had no complaints. His presence on the field will definitely help us, as he can score goals and is always dangerous."
The clash between Bayern and Real will start tonight at 21:45 Lithuanian time.
