Mourinho: "El Borussia es fuerte, pero jugamos en casa y podemos hacerlo bien"

Mourinho: "El Borussia es fuerte, pero jugamos en casa y podemos hacerlo bien"

 

 "Nuestro grupo es muy entretenido y difícil y todos los equipos estamos bajo presión", añadió el técnico blanco

Realmadrid.com

El Real Madrid se enfrenta mañana al Borussia Dortmund en el cuarto partido de la Fase de Grupos de la Champions League (20:45 horas, La 1). José Mourinho habló en conferencia de prensa en la previa del choque: “Es un grupo muy duro y cualquier punto que se consiga es bueno. Perder es malo y creo que todos los equipos tienen riesgo. El Dortmund y nosotros estamos en mejor situación que los otros dos equipos. Pero es posible que el City gane más puntos en esta segunda parte de la Fase de Grupos y remonte. Es un grupo muy entretenido porque es muy complicado y todos los equipos están bajo presión. El Borussia es fuerte, pero jugamos en casa y podemos hacerlo bien”.

El conjunto blanco se enfrenta al alemán con el objetivo por parte de ambos del liderato del grupo D. El técnico madridista destacó la calidad del Borussia. “No me preocupa solo de tres cuartos adelante, me preocupa todo el equipo en general. Es un óptimo equipo. No es casualidad ganar dos Ligas en Alemania, no lo es tampoco estar líder en este grupo tan fuerte. Es bueno en las transiciones, con jugadores fuertes, tácticos y muy directos. Es muy buen equipo. Para mí, si este quipo pasa a octavos, que está bien posicionado, es un equipo candidato a ganar la competición".

José Mourinho también habló de la calidad de Ronaldo y de lo que aún puede ofrecer: “Pienso que Cristiano ya era un gran jugador antes de venir y en el Real Madrid ganó notoriedad. Ahora es un hombre con 27 años. Era un buen futbolista, es un gran futbolista y será un gran futbolista las próximas temporadas”. Además, el técnico adelantó sobre el once inicial de mañana que “Benzema está lesionado y Varane será titular. Karim tiene un problema muscular en un abductor. Esta fuera. No sé por cuánto tiempo pero está fuera para mañana”. Sobre la posible titularidad de Modric y las indicaciones que le daría para el encuentro destacó: “No sé si juega. Le diría a Modric lo mismo que a Essien, Xabi Alonso o Khedira”.

Sobre su ausencia en la presentación celebrada hoy de la III Fase de la Ciudad Real Madrid el técnico aclaró: “Estaba invitado y me he justificado a quien me tenía que justificar, al club. Y mi justificación es que el día antes de un partido no estoy para actos, estoy concentrado en lo que tengo preparar y en lo que tengo que pensar. Ya me han dicho que llegaron algunas críticas. Pero si voy al acto me llegarían igual porque dirían que en vez de pensar en partidos estaría pensando en actos”.

Mourinho fue cuestionado acerca de por qué no se vendieron todas las entradas para el partido contra el Manchester City y por qué siguen quedando localidades para el encuentro contra el Borussia. Y respondió: “Eran de las pocas cosas que me faltaban. Responsable de la crisis económica en España y en Europa me parece que no soy”. Y al ser preguntado por la organización del club y si se sentía respaldado afirmó: “No estoy para charlas de gestión empresarial".

Para concluir, deseo suerte a Zidane en su futura carrera de entrenador: “No soy nadie para hacer cualquier tipo de comentario. Me limito a decir que espero que sea feliz y que tenga éxito en su carrera tanto como ha tenido de jugador, pero no soy nadie para evaluarlo”.

1-4: One step closer to the round of sixteen

Goals from Benzema (2), Kaká and José Rodríguez, who made his first-team debut, brought victory to the Whites over Alcoyano, putting them on track to go through to the next round

Real Madrid made their 2012/2013 Copa del Rey debut with a commendable away triumph against Alcoyano in the first leg of the tournament's round of thirty-two. Goals came from Benzema and Kaká in the first half then first-team newcomer José Rodríguez and the French forward again in the second. The team led by José Mourinho proved very effective, managing to thwart their rival's clear opportunities at goal. Nevertheless, a goal from Lara in the final stretch managed to close the gap. The Real Madrid coach formed a line-up full of new faces with respect to the last League match. Academy players Nacho, Morata and Álex were present and the team performed at top level in order to achieve an advantage in the playoff that concludes on 28 November in the Santiago Bernabéu. After their successful result they will now be focussing on their next League match against Zaragoza.

The Whites hit the pitch at El Collao with nine new players in the starting line-up with respect to the last League match played against Mallorca. Alcoyano kicked off the match with the added motivation brought by their rival and the support of their home crowd. With great positioning the local team bore down on the Real Madrid players at the top of the pitch, taking four corners in only seven minutes. At the outset of the match the two teams fought with great intensity to win control of the centre of the field, resulting in a lack of opportunities at goal.

Little by little Mourinho's team freed themselves of their rival's hold and in their first aerial incursion Benzema scored 0-1 (21’). Callejon struggled against the Alicante defense for a long ball and it fell to the Frenchman who advanced well, beating Unai Alba and opening the scoreboard. At that point the Whites began to enjoy themselves more with the ball and control the match. As a result, Morata scored in the 32’ after a good pass from Kaká. However the goal was disallowed by the referee for offside. The second goal did make it on the scoreboard in the 35’, with a shot by Kaká from the edge of the area. Benzema took the ball down the field and passed it to the Brazilian, who scored with a low left-footed shot slipped in next to the left post.

The home team tried coming back thanks to Edison and De Dios, Alcoyano's most effective players. The former shot high on two occasions (38’ y 44’) while Adán, who remained confident throughout the match, blocked the latter's shot from the edge of the area. In the stoppage time Kaká shot a free kick from the side of the field directly at goal in an attempt to surprise the home keeper, but the ball went just over the crossbar.

The second half started with José Rodríguez making his debut with Real Madrid. He came on in substitution of Álex, who was well positioned and focused on containing the rivals at all times but was booked for a foul in the 42’. Alcoyano hit the pitch once more applying pressure at the top of the field and looking for opportunities, particularly at moments where the ball was stopped. Modric was the second Real Madrid substitution, going on for Essien in the 60’ just before the third goal (67’). In a great piece of play enabled by the whole team, Benzema passed to José Rodríguez inside the area and the academy player scored a fantastic goal, shooting with the inside of his right foot.

In the 70’ Benzema had the chance to score his second goal of the night but the rival keeper kicked his shot clear. The home team sought a face-saving goal but Adán thwarted all their attempts. In the 62’ he saved a shot by Fran Piera from the front of the area and in the 73’ and 75’ he disrupted two other promising rival efforts. There was nothing he could do in the 77’ when Lara shot a penalty kick directly at goal from the right side. The Whites dominated in the final stage and concluded the match with a goal from Benzema in the 87’, who slipped his shot under Unai Alba in a great combination with Morata. After their successful result the team will now be focussing on their next League match against Zaragoza next Saturday.

Mourinho: “We won, did our part, we were professional and honoured the name Real Madrid”

Mourinho: “We won, did our part, we were professional and honoured the name Real Madrid”

“We didn't play a top quality match, but it was impossible to do any better. I liked the team's attitude in general”, the coach explained

José Mourinho was satisfied with Real Madrid's win and, above all, with how the team responded in a complicated match: “We didn't play a top quality match, but it was impossible to do any better. I liked the team's attitude in general. We won, did our part, we were professional and honoured the name Real Madrid” The White's manager also praised their rival and fans: “They played with a lot of enjoyment, intensity and motivation. I'm really pleased to come and the crowd was very enthusiastic. I hope they come to the Bernabéu just as they came two years ago. I saw their match against Castilla”.

The Real Madrid coach gave his perspective of the match and came to positive conclusions: “I enjoyed the match more than the result, as well as the team's attitude because it was a match in which it was complicated to motivate people. It wasn't easy to compete against a team that plays with such tremendous enthusiasm. We didn't play a top quality match, but it was impossible to do any better. We won and practically sealed the playoff. Footballers that hadn't had many minutes on the pitch have played and I liked that. We won, did our part, we were professional and honoured the name Real Madrid”.

In terms of their rival, the Portuguese manager believes that it's a good team, bearing in mind the inevitable differences: “We're two very teams from different championships. They played with a lot of enjoyment, intensity and motivation. They began the match better than us and I think that it's a good team. I don't know their competition well but they have interesting players and I'm sure their manager is good. I hope they had a good time because we didn't come to joke around and we did our job. I wish them lots of luck”.

In addition, Mourinho encouraged the Alcoyano fans to go the Bernabéu to support their team: “People look at the negative side of everything I say. It's always the same story. I like the Copa del Rey for this reason, because great teams go to places where there isn't any First Division football and it gets shown on TV. I'm really pleased to come and the crowd was very enthusiastic. I hope they come to the Bernabéu just as they came two years ago. I saw their match against Castilla”.

The Real Madrid coach mentioned two names in particular: José Rodríguez, who made his first-team debut today at 17 years of age and Nacho, who was solid in defence, accompanying Carvalho, Varane and Albiol. Of the former, who scored the third goal, he stated: “I liked how he played, we all liked how he played. He has potential, youth and time to progress in order to play with the first team and not pass through the first team but arrive and stay. That's important. He has potential and the age to build a career here. If possible, by playing more because he doesn't play a lot at the moment and it's important for him to have more minutes on the field”.

In terms of the defender, he emphasised that he is a player that “adapts well. What's most important and what's really ideal is that the players that want to join the first team have a transition between what they do for the first team and what they do in the reserve team. Nacho is an option for me as a right back and I can call on him to play on the left if I don't have anyone else, as happens with Essien. He's a kid that adapts well. What I look for are players that stay and have a life as a member of the first team. He'll never play as a centre back and as a wing back he has years ahead of him. There's no going back for me. If I explain myself badly I apologise for my Spanish because I'm not Spanish”.

Real Madrid shirt for 2012/13 season

                                     

Real Madrid

Real Madrid Club de Fútbol ( Royal Madrid Football Club), commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. It was founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club and has traditionally worn a white home kit since. The word Real is Spanish for royal and was bestowed to the club by King Alfonso XIII in 1920 together with the royal crown in the emblem. The club established itself as a major force in both Spanish and European football during the 1950s.
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