Zidane praises ‘brilliant’ Real after first win in Dortmund
DORTMUND: They may be stumbling at the start of La Liga, but European champions Real Madrid were “brilliant” in their 3-1 victory over in-form Borussia Dortmund, coach Zinedine Zidane said on Tuesday.
Real, who have dropped to sixth in the Spanish league, seven points off leaders Barcelona after six matches, were in sparkling European form, outclassing the Germans who had conceded just one goal in their first six Bundesliga matches.
It was also Real’s first win at Dortmund after three defeats and three draws.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who last week started his first league game of the season following suspension, scored twice and Gareth Bale added another as they punished the Germans for giving them too much space.
“We played a great game from start to finish. We could have scored more. We had chances,” said Zidane, who has led Real to first ever back-toback Champions League titles in the past two seasons.
“We had a spectacular game, a brilliant game. The important thing is to score more than our opponents and we did that.
“I am delighted for Ronaldo and Bale. The side worked hard. The midfield worked very hard. I am extremely happy because they played a tremendous game.”
The Frenchman praised his players for a focused and disciplined performance and for not losing their cool when Dortmund pulled a goal back early in the second half to make it 2-1 and set up a nerve-wracking final 25 minutes.
“We started well, the first half was brilliant as was the second. We showed authority. We had some difficult moments after the break but we played them out. It was perfect,” Zidane said.
Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino praised Harry Kane after the English striker scored a perfect hat-trick for Tottenham Hotspur to give them a 3-0 victory at APOEL Nicosia in their second Champions League match in Group H.
After scoring twice in the opening group stage win over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley, Kane added to his European tally with three goals in Cyprus using both feet and his head.
“He has unbelievable skills in front of goal. He is on another level. He is a killer, Harry has this special skill,” Pochettino said.
Spurs’ next opponents in the competition are Real, who also have maximum points and the same goal difference in the group following two victories.
When asked whether Kane is on the same level as fourtimes Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, the Argentine coach did not give a straight answer but did laud the Englishman as one of the best.
“He scored three goals, he is one of the best, he is unbelievable,” he said after Kane reached 34 goals for his club during the calendar year, three more than the Portuguese.
But Pochettino would not be drawn on whether he would swap Real’s mercurial No 7 for 24-year-old Kane.
“Cristiano is fantastic and one of the best. Harry is one of the best and can improve because he is so young. Both are fantastic, they are the types of players you want in your team.” – Reuters