El Clasico draw against Barca 'not good enough' for Real Madrid boss Zidane

Although he was pleased with his players' efforts at Camp Nou, Zinedine Zidane felt Real Madrid should have beaten Barcelona.

Published : Dec 19, 2019 11:04 IST

Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane was frustrated with the result given the chances his side created early on, but was not displeased with his players' efforts.
Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane was frustrated with the result given the chances his side created early on, but was not displeased with his players' efforts.
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Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane was frustrated with the result given the chances his side created early on, but was not displeased with his players' efforts.

Zinedine Zidane said Wednesday's 0-0 Clasico draw between Barcelona and Real Madrid was "not good enough", even though he was impressed with his players.

Gareth Bale saw a goal correctly disallowed for offside in the second half of the stalemate at Camp Nou, which leaves Barca and Madrid level on points atop LaLiga.

Madrid managed 12 shots in the first half, the most it has managed in the opening 45 minutes of an away game against Barca since at least 2003-04, but it could not find a breakthrough to avoid a first league goalless draw with their fierce rival since 2002.

Zidane was frustrated with the result given the chances his side created early on, but the head coach was not displeased with his players' efforts.

READ | El Clasico: Bale goal disallowed as Barcelona, Real Madrid share spoils

"The result isn't good enough for me," Zidane said to reporters. "We could've done something more, but that's football.

"If you have chances, you have to score them, and this is what we were missing in certain instances.

"We played a serious match, we were focused for the 90 minutes. It was a good Clasico, a good football match. It only lacked goals.

"We have to be happy with the match because it's against a very good opponent."

Bale was something of a surprise inclusion in the first XI and Zidane was very happy with the Wales star's performance given it was only the eighth league game this season in which he has started.

"Everyone played well," he said. "Bale hadn't played much and he had a great game.

"[Toni] Kroos and Fede [Valerde] in his position, Raphael [Varane], Sergio [Ramos]... everyone [played well].

"The team put in a great shift. When you play a game like that in this stadium... we deserved a bit more."

Valverde explains Busquets exclusion

Ernesto Valverde explained Sergio Busquets was a late omission from Barcelona's Clasico line-up against Real Madrid due to a fever.

The Spain international was originally named among Barca's starting XI but was a late withdrawal with Ivan Rakitic taking his place.

Confusion reigned with some reports suggesting Busquets was going to be among the substitutes instead, but head coach Valverde confirmed it was illness that meant he missed the goalless draw at Camp Nou.

"It is true that Busquets was feeling bad, he had a fever, before the game," Valverde told Movistar.

"We thought we could have used him in the second half but not in the end. The coach makes the decision based on what he sees."

ALSO READ | El Clasico marred by violence as 46 people injured, 5 arrested

There was no lack of endeavour in a match that saw both teams create chances to win all three points, a fact acknowledged by Valverde.

"It was a very disputed match in which there were phases for both teams," he added.

"They squeezed us high and created problems with high balls. That's where we've suffered."

On Madrid's high pressing, Valverde said: "We expected this. In the end they are situations of individual duels that you must solve.

"Sometimes we have achieved it and sometimes not."

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