MADRID • Zinedine Zidane urged his Real Madrid side to "give a little more" as Karim Benzema's goal was enough only for a 1-1 LaLiga underwhelming draw at Leganes.
Real have 61 points, 13 points adrift of leaders Barcelona, with Zidane's second reign as coach now delivering three wins, one defeat and a draw. They are four points behind Atletico Madrid (65) and finishing second, and above their city rivals, appears unlikely.
"It looks like we do not have much confidence," Zidane said. "We can play better, we must play better. The first half was not so good, the second a bit better.
"Even if this might have been a bad season, we must all give a bit more."
He was asked last month about the humiliation of playing on a Monday night, the time typically reserved for LaLiga's sides not involved in European competitions and so unpopular that it will be abolished next season.
Most of the Frenchman's press conferences have so far been dominated by questions about his players' futures and on this evidence, few will be feeling secure.
Benzema has been, by a distance, Real's most consistent player this season and he showed again why Zidane has already said the striker will stay.
Leganes might even have won it after Jonathan Silva gave them the lead shortly before half-time and while Benzema scored his 26th goal of the season, Real never looked like finding a winner.
Gareth Bale, meanwhile, was benched for the second time in three matches, with his prospects looking evermore bleak.
"It's a really tricky season, it's hard to explain and we all feel sad," said goalkeeper Keylor Navas. "But in this club there's always pressure and that cannot be an excuse."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

LONDON • British crash investigators are two days into an underwater operation to recover a body from the wreckage of the plane carrying Argentinian striker Emiliano Sala in the English Channel..
UK rescuers launch bid to recover body from Sala's plane

Substitute Javier Hernandez scored a late brace including a stoppage-time winner to help West Ham United beat Huddersfield Town 4-3 in a roller-coaster Premier League clash on Saturday. The Mexico
Football: West Ham leave it late to see off spirited Huddersfield

Success was no stranger to him from the outset of his 16-season career with the Spurs, as Ginobili captured four NBA titles and posted a career winning percentage of .721 (762-295) -- the best in
Driven To Succeed - kendalnetmaker.com

Bale 'nowhere near' being Madrid's leader, says Mijatovic Share. Tweet. Share. FILE PHOTO: Gareth Bale (Real), DECEMBER 22, 2018 - Football / Soccer : FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 final match

PARIS (AFP) - Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian captain Thiago Silva has been granted French citizenship, he announced on Twitter on Friday (March 15).. Read more at straitstimes.com.
PSG captain Thiago Silva receives French citizenship

MOSCOW (AFP) - Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho embarrassingly slipped after presenting a symbolic face-off to a match in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) on Monday (Feb 4)..
Mourinho humiliated by fall at Russian hockey league face-off

Lure of Italy strong, says Chelsea's homesick Sarri afp.com. 16 mins ago. Trump joins the Queen for D-Day anniversary. Russian jet intercepts US aircraft 3 times in 3 hours
Homesick Sarri hints at Italy return, but Juventus still

MANCHESTER UNITED REVEALED on Thursday that sacking Jose Mourinho and his staff cost the club nearly £20 million. The sum of £19.6 million (€22.2 million)) which is listed under "exceptional items" in the club's second-quarter results, includes pay-outs for the members of Mourinho's staff who left with him after he was sacked in December.
Man Utd latest financial results: 6 things you might have

MADRID (REUTERS) - Real Madrid have signed Serbia striker Luka Jovic from Eintracht Frankfurt for 60 million euros (S$92 million), television channel Sky Germany said on Thursday (May 16).. Read
Real Madrid agree Luka Jovic signing for 60 million euros

The result, and another lacklustre performance, against the team with Serie A's worst defensive record heaped more pressure on Milan's beleaguered coach Gennaro Gattuso. Italian media reported
Milan draw another blank in Frosinone stalemate

Football: New favourites Liverpool face two stiff tests of title credentials Dec 29, 2018, 5:00 am Football: Oxlade-Chamberlain could return to training in February, says Klopp
New favourites face two stiff tests - theworldnews.net

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp denies their FA Cup exit has given them an advantage over Premier League title rivals Manchester City and Tottenham. Defeat to Wolves on Monday left the league
Bayern braced for Klopp reunion at Liverpool - sports.yahoo.com

The Women's World Cup starts on Friday, but who are the favourites and which teams could spring a surprise? Fara Williams, Rachel Yankey and Kelly Smith discuss.
Holders U.S. shrug off weight of World Cup expectations
0 comments:
Post a Comment