Erratic Madrid worry Zidane
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REAL MADRID slumped to a 2-1 loss at home to Alaves in La Liga on Saturday as city rivals Atletico moved level with leaders Real Sociedad after extending their winning run to six matches. Lucas Perez scored a fifth-minute penalty at Alfredo di Stefano stadium and Joselu added a second just after half-time following an awful mistake by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Casemiro gave Real a lifeline on 86 minutes but Alaves held on for a victory that lifted them to ninth. Madrid remain in fourth place and six points behind Real Sociedad and Diego Simeone’s Atletico.
“I don’t have any explanations,” said Real coach Zinedine Zidane, whose side followed an impressive 2-0 midweek win at Inter Milan by losing for the third time in 10 league games this season.
“We alternate between good and bad moments. The other day in Milan we played a good match, and today, three days later, we put in a display like that at home.”
“It was our worst start to a match this season,” he added. “We can’t change the flow of the match. It bothers me, and the players too I think. The problem we have right now is consistency.
“We have a lot of problems with injuries. It’s not an excuse, but it is the reality. There is no explanation.”
Eden Hazard was withdrawn in the first half with an injury that appeared to be muscular, though the coach is hoping for something else.
”I think, and hope, it’s an impact injury,” Zidane told Spanish sports daily Marca. ”I hope it’s not muscular.”
Madrid have picked up just one point from the last nine on offer domestically, and have won just seven of their 14 games this term, leaving the coach searching for solutions.
”I have to find solutions with the players,” Zidane said. “I’m not going to say what they are here. We can’t just think about the negatives. We have to see what we did well and try to be more consistent.”
Earlier in the day, Atletico edged a tight contest at Valencia 1-0 that stretched their unbeaten league run to 25 matches.
They stay second but are equal on 23 points with Sociedad with a game in hand thanks to Toni Lato’s own goal 11 minutes from time.
Stingy Atletico have conceded just twice in their nine league matches so far this season and have only scored two less than La Liga top scorers Sociedad, who host third-placed Villarreal on Sunday.
“We have made huge progress since April, since that wonderful match at Liverpool,” said Simeone, referring to the Champions League last-16 tie his team won 4-2 on aggregate. – AFP/Agencies