Zinedine Zidane took to the press room at the Santiago Bernabéu to offer his verdict on the rout over Osasuna. The coach highlighted the manner of victory and commented on the way he rotated his squad: “Today I decided to line up like that. After the international break I needed to think about rotating things. There are a lot of games coming up and we’ve got very good strength in depth and good players. We’ve got another game on Wednesday and we’ll have to see what we do in that one. We’ll be looking to continue this good run, try to win the game and we’ll be giving our all in every match”.
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“We spend time in training on set pieces because they’re an important element of the game and, at times, they can open things up for you. Some of our key players are good in the air. I reflect on a win and the three points, which are important as we go on. What’s more, we achieved the victory with players who don’t always get given as much playing time as some of the others”.
Modric
“We know what kind of player he is. He doesn’t need many instructions. He performs well and has got good experience. I’m happy, but not just on account of today’s performance and for the ovation that he got. He deserves it for the effort that he always puts in and not just for today’s display. He’s a lovely lad and I’m pleased for him”.
Cristiano
“I didn’t come to any agreement with him. He was happy to be with us. I enjoyed seeing Cristiano in action, just like everyone else, like the many madridistas at home and everyone who loves Cristiano. I want to always have him here with us, he’s played an hour today and we’ll have to see whether he plays on Wednesday. It had been almost 60 days since his last game and now we’ve got seven games in 21 days and we’ve got to be wary of that”.
“I hope he scores a lot of goals. He is breaking all of the records and I’m certain he’ll reach 100 goals in the Champions League. He always creates danger and scoring in the first five minutes is incredible”.
Benzema
“I think he’s doing well, in a slightly different position, behind Morata. He was able to play and keep the pace for 30 minutes and I’m happy with what he did. He is ready to play 90 minutes. We will see what happens on Wednesday. He makes things happen when he’s on the bal and he creates danger”.
Kovacic
“What I’m trying to do is instil in him the kind of confidence a player needs when out on the pitch. He is a good player who is doing positive things. He went away with his national team and coming back from the international break is not easy. He wants to play and he shows that in training. After having watched how he played I can only be happy”.
Right-back
“It is difficult for me to pick my starting XI. We have two players who both play incredibly well in that position. I am happy with how Danilo played, he is very professional. What can I say about Carvajal…He steps up every time that he plays. We have a lot of games ahead of us and they will both play”.
