No crisis at Real despite loss, says Ronaldo
As Tottenham sealed their spot in the knockout phase with a sensational 3-1 win over Real Madrid, with two matches to spare, HT looks at how the North London club managed to subdue the Spanish giants: Mauricio Pochettino described his side’s drubbing of Real as the most satisfying result of his managing tenure. While creating a bit of history in their first triumph over the defending champions, Kane & Co can now consider themselves as one of the top clubs in Europe and will surely take heaps of confidence from it. Because at the end of it, this was the first time Real were beaten in a group match in 31 attempts.
knocking on their door throughout the ggame, boasting 63 per cennt of the possession, Tottenhham took advantage wiith a fine transitional display. After winning the ball inn the middle on several occasions -Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen, Harry Winkks, Kieran Trippier andd Harry Kane were able to swiftly find spacess in Real’s half and threaten their goal. Spurs' third goal was a classic example of the same.
his comeback to European football following a three-match suspension, with a superb brace. The first was a wonderful instinctive poke from the six-yard area from a Trippier cross. The second a mix of brilliant individual skills and some luck as he skipped past Casemiro to unleash a shot that deflected off Sergio Ramos and into the net. He could have had a dream hat-trick but could not find the target from his headed effort in the final quarter. you’ve got to believe.”
It is a bold claim for a club who have won only one major trophy -- the 2008 League Cup -- since the turn of the century, but it is in tune with Pochettino’s thinking.
“We need to understand that we are at a level where we are playing fantastic against the best teams and to get to the next level, we have to win things,” he said.
“Right now, we’re very proud. But this means nothing if at the end of the season we haven’t won a trophy.”
of the first half, and throughg the second period Real came foorward posing a genuinee threat. In fact, goingg by statistics alone, Real can be coonsidered the better atttacking side.
Eleven corners to Sppurs’ one and 20 atttempts of which nine were on target. But aall their attempts were in vain, aside from Ronaldo’s connsolation goal, bbecause theyh were thwarted by the heroics of Hugo Lloris and his defensive line of Davinson Sanchez, Jan Vertonghen and Moussa Sissoko. LONDON: Cristiano Ronaldo played down talk of crisis at Real Madrid after the European and Spanish champions were trounced 3-1 on their Wembley debut against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
The Portuguese scored his sixth goal in this year’s Champi- ons League and 111th overall but it was merely a consolation effort as his side were outplayed on their first ever appearance at the iconic stadium. Defeat left Real second in Group H, three points behind Tottenham who will seal top spot if they win one of their last two games.
“You can’t always be at your best — there are good moments want to just compete with these teams — we want to beat them. I'm happy to get two goals, but more importantly it was a win" Liverpool Sevilla Spartak Maribor
told BT Sport. 4 4 4 4
Man City* 4 Shakhtar 4 Napoli 4 Feyenoord 4 2 2 0 10 2 1 1 0 12 1 3 0 1 3 -13
40 0 30 1 10 3 00 4 8 7 5 1
9 12 2 9 -2 3 -9 0 and bad moments,” Ronaldo, who had never been on the losing side against Tottenham said.
“We’re relaxed. What counts is what happens at the end (of the season), not what happens now. We need to stay calm.
“We’re not in the best moment -- we have to accept that and keep working. We could lose three, four, five games and I still Alli 27, 56 Eriksen 65 Besiktas Porto Leipzig Monaco 4 4 4 4
Tottenham* 4 Real 4 Dortmund 4 Apoel 4 Ronaldo 80 3 10 20 2 1 1 2 02 2
3 10 2 1 1 02 2 02 2 5 10 2 6 -3 4 -4 2
7 10 3 7 -4 2 -6 2 wouldn’t think there’s a crisis.
“We’re in a bad run and we want to change things. We’ve got a long way to go in order to do that but I’m sure we will. Football is about winning but people forget the good things this side did a few months ago. I’m relaxed.
“I don’t think it’s a question of attitude. We won’t hide, we’ll work to turn this around.”
Sergio Aguero, fresh from becoming the top scorer in the 137-year history of Manchester City, said he would be giving away his historic match shirt as a special memento for his son Benjamin.
The popular Argentine was hailed as a “legend” by team mates and former City greats alike after scoring his 178th goal for the club - another crucial one - during their thrilling 4-2 win at Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Aguero’s strike put City 3-2 ahead in the 69th minute of a remarkable game and he revealed that he would be taking home a prized souvenir for his eight year-old son.
“He texted me, saying ‘if you score, bring it (the shirt) to me’,” the 29-year-old said after going past the 177-goal landmark of Eric Brook that had lasted for 78 years.
Vincent Kompany, City’s captain, led the tributes to Aguero by calling him a “true legend” while their former England international Francis Lee tweeted that he was a “superstar”.
Aguero’s feat has been compiled relentlessly over the six years he has been at City ever since he struck twice in a memorable Premier League debut in August 2011 against Swansea.
Manager Pep Guardiola reckoned goal number 178 in his 264th match for City was the only fitting way for the talismanic striker to break the record “because it was such an important goal to make it 3-2.” The Spaniard added: “It’s amazing, another part of the history and legend for the club.”
INCREDIBLE FEAT
Although Raheem Sterling added a fourth in injury time, it was typical Aguero sharpness that broke Napoli and allowed Guardiola’s side to become the first English team to win a European tie at the Italians’ San Paolo stadium.
After a pulsating game, Guardiola reckoned that beating Napoli, the free-scoring league leaders in Serie A, twice in two weeks was an “incredible achievement”.
“They are perhaps the best side I’ve faced in my career,” he added. “We tried to block their left flank, but they got there first and were too strong. They massacred us for 20 minutes and we didn’t have the courage to play. I am glad with the way we reacted.”
One down to a Lorenzo Insigne goal, City hit back through headed goals from their centre backs Nicolas Otamendi and John Stones either side of halftime, before Jorginho checked their momentum from the penalty spot.
Yet while City have booked their place in the last 16 with a maximum 12 points, Napoli are now in grave danger of missing out on the knockout stages with just three points in third place.