Spanish Press lay into Real

MADRID — The front pages of Wednesday’s Spanish newspapers would make for morbid reading for Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane after his side’s shock 3-2 defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.

Zidane’s men crumpled in a dreadful first-half display and were 3-0 down at half-time. While they rallied in the second, their two-goal fight-back was ultimately in vain as they failed to snatch an equaliser.

While a losing start to the Champions League is always unacceptable for a club of Madrid’s calibre, the result was compounded by the fact they have a clash with fierce rivals Barcelona on the horizon this weekend.

The loss follows their shock defeat by Cadiz in LaLiga last Saturday, too. Marca, the loyal Madrid-based sports paper, appear to be feeling fearful of El Clasico after Wednesday’s result. “Every day it’s worse: Madrid on a free fall ... and Saturday Barcelona,” they wrote of the 13time Champions League winners.

They also claimed that the mood in the dressing room was remarkably sombre after the defeat, with players “barely putting three words in a row” when president Florentino Perez visited the team after the final whistle.

“Embarrassing” wrote AS on their cover with a picture of Thibaus Courtois picking the ball out of his net. “Madrid fall to Shakhtar’s reserves after a terrible first-half.”

Sport also reminded Madrid fans that a clash against Messi and Co is coming. “Ridiculous of champions,” was their verdict. “A terrible level of performance before El Clasico”.

Real Madrid take on Barcelona on Saturday at the Nou Camp having now lost to newly promoted Cadiz and group outsiders Shakhtar.