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Zinedine Zidane praised his facet’s efficiency as top-of-the-line this season as Real Madrid closed in on the Champions League final 16 on Wednesday with a 2-Zero win towards 10-man Inter Milan that pushed the Italians to the brink of elimination from the competitors. Eden Hazard put Real forward with a penalty after simply seven minutes at San Siro and an Achraf Hakimi personal objective doubled their lead because the Spaniards disregarded the absence of injured captain Sergio Ramos and Karim Benzema. “They instructed us that you do not win within the Champions League with out Sergio Ramos, and this night we did it,” mentioned Zidane.
Inter coach Antonio Conte admitted his facet had been given a “mountain to climb” as they performed over an hour a person down after Arturo Vidal was despatched off.
“Leaving a team with 10 after 30 minutes is to kill them,” Conte mentioned.
The Chilean midfielder had argued for a penalty after happening within the field however as a substitute acquired two yellow playing cards for dissent.
Before that Hazard lastly netted his first Champions League objective for Madrid from the spot after Nacho had been introduced down.
Rodrygo then got here off the bench and compelled Hakimi to divert the ball into his personal web towards his former membership for the second objective simply earlier than the hour.
“I don’t know if this is our most complete match of the season or not, but we produced a great performance from start to finish, intense and serious,” mentioned Zidane.
“We knew that these were three super-important points for us and that drew the best out of my team.”
Real, the document 13-time European champions, transfer second in Group B with seven factors from 4 video games, one level behind Borussia Moenchengladbach, with Inter backside on simply two factors.
Zidane’s group had taken only one level from their first two video games after dropping to Shakhtar Donetsk and drawing towards Gladbach, however adopted on right here from their 3-2 win over the Italians in Spain.
– Inter ‘alarm bells’ –
The defeat was a actuality test for Conte’s Inter towards his former Juventus teammate Zidane’s La Liga champions.
“I think we saw a difference between us and them. This should not overwhelm us, it must make us understand that there is a way to go. We must work, be eager and humble to understand at what level we are,” mentioned Conte.
“We must not let ourselves be distracted by alarm bells coming from the outside, the only way to go is the path of work and growth.”
Conte’s facet are nonetheless near a 3rd consecutive elimination within the group stage.
“The situation is difficult, but there is always hope,” mentioned Inter goalkeeper and captain Samir Handanovic of his facet’s hopes of reaching the final 16.
A minute’s silence happened earlier than kick-off in honour of Diego Maradona, who died Wednesday aged 60.
Maradona’s demise was “a huge loss for the world in general, and the world of football,” mentioned former French World Cup winner Zidane, 48.
“I have the 1986 World Cup engraved in my head. It touches us deeply, we are sorry, especially for his family. I have no words. We are very sad about this news.”
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Former Italy worldwide Conte, 51, added: “We are all shedding tears for a person who has certainly made football history and will remain forever in football history.
“We are speaking concerning the poetry of a footballer who I additionally had the pleasure of taking part in towards.”
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