RAP PARTY Varane steps up to save Zidane
Huesca 1 Real Madrid 2
RAPHAEL VARANE was Real Madrid’s unlikely two-goal hero to rescue Zinedine Zidane at bottom club Huesca.
Zidane had demanded “respect” in the build-up to yesterday’s La Liga clash as the pressure begins to tell on the Real boss.
He had claimed his secondplaced side were still in the title race – but it could have been a different story had France defender Varane not stepped up.
Javi Galan fired Huesca into a shock lead on 48 minutes before Varane equalised for the reigning champions.
Varane then tapped home a late winner for the visitors. Real trail city rivals Atletico Madrid – who play Celta Vigo tomorrow – by seven points.
Despite this victory, his side’s latest below-par performance will have done little to boost Zidane (right) and he said:
“We were not comfortable. We were just OK.
“But we have to build and go step by step until we are playing well again.
“We know the difficulties we’ve had lately.
“We played with character and it was an important win.
“There’s no doubt we need to begin playing with happiness, playing like Real Madrid.”
Huesca took the lead when Galan was set up by former Leicester forward Shinji Okazaki. And it could have got worse for Real as Rafa Mir, who is on loan from Wolves, volleyed against the bar.
Real equalised when Karim Benzema’s freekick came off the woodwork and Varane headed the rebound over the line. Varane was then in the right place to net the 84th-minute winner after keeper Alvaro Fernandez palmed Casemiro’s header into his path.