Month: January 2018

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane while explaining his side’s home draw in Wednesday’s Cup fixture once again defended his players.

A Lucas Vazquez brace helped send a very unconvincing Real Madrid to the Copa del Rey quarterfinals after a 2-2 draw in their Round of 16 second leg with second division side Numancia on Wednesday night at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.

Real 2-2 Numancia: Los Blancos held in Copa Dey Rey

The result gave Real a 5-2 win on aggregate after last week’s 3-0 first-leg triumph in Soria. the underfire Zidane who has previously insisted that he thinks the current squad is good enough repeated that rhetoric again in his post-match briefing.

“I’m pleased with everyone’s performance, I’m happy for the guys who get less time on the pitch and I’m thrilled to have come through the tie. I’m pleased with the team’s performance and with the tie as a whole. We’re in the quarter-finals and that’s that.

“I don’t think it’s a case of lacking rhythm. The opposition is important in football, they can make life difficult for you. You have to stay switched on at the end of both halves. We didn’t play well towards the end because we were struggling a bit physically. I’d like to have won because it’s what the players deserved, but we shouldn’t lose our heads.

“We’re getting back to what we know and we’ll do so calmly and with no problem at all. All the questions and what you’re saying about poor playing style… that may be the case but we’re convinced that we’re going to come out the other side. I leave here satisfied, as do the players.

Florentino Perez and Zidane in transfer tussle

Real Madrid coach Zidane predicts when he will be sacked

“We didn’t win the Fuenlabrada match. We did the same as now: we won the first leg and we drew the second leg. We can’t be happy when we don’t win at home. But I’m pleased because it was a serious game. We can do things better, physically we have dropped off a bit at the end.” Zidane told Real’s official website

Next up for Real Madrid as they aim to return to winning ways is a home match against Villarreal this Saturday.

The president of Boca Juniors Daniel Angelici has opened up on the speculation linking their player Cristian Pavon to a Premier League move with Arsenal in the January transfer window.

The Gunners are reportedly ready to trigger Pavon’s £27million release clause and are keen to get a deal over the line quickly. However, when asked about the rumours, Angelici played down contact from Wenger’s people while also reiterating the club’s resolve to respect the player’s wish should an offer come in.

Arsenal launch £27m bid for Sanchez replacement

“For the moment, we have not received any proposal, formally or informally.

“But I know very well what I said to Cristian when we renewed his contract. I am not going to cut off his career, but we made him a nice contract so that he would be comfortable.

“We put a release clause in the contract just in case clubs like this appear. It’s then the player who has the last word.

“He looks fine to me, very focused on 2018 with Boca Juniors. ‘We always help him with his future, but I trust Pavon will be with us for 2018.” Angelici as quoted in The Metro

Arsene Wenger is on the hunt for attacking reinforcements at the Emirates, with Alexis Sanchez set for a move to Premier League rivals Manchester City and it is believed Wenger sees the Brazilian as a perfect replacement for the outgoing Chilean.

Another explosion on the Escarvos to Lagos Gas Pipeline was reported again Thursday, barely four days after five power plants resumed operations following an earlier incident which led to them shutting down. The five power plants affected are Egbin 1,320MW; Olorunsogo NIPP 676MW, Olorunsogo 338MW, Omotosho NIPP 450MW, Omotosho 338 MW and Paras 60MW power…