Real Madrid will not 'go crazy' following La Liga draw at Celta Vigo

Sport360 staff 07:57 08/01/2018
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  • Real slipped up again at Celta Vigo.

    Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane insists the team will not “go crazy” despite losing more ground on La Liga leaders Barcelona after a late header from Maxi Gomez earned Celta Vigo a 2-2 draw at Balaidos.

    Los Blancos now trail their bitter rivals by 16 points, albeit with a match in hand, after Barcelona had earlier defeated Levante 3-0 at the Nou Camp before new £142million signing Philippe Coutinho was paraded for an official photocall.

    Wales forward Gareth Bale, fit again following a calf problem, had scored twice in as many first-half minutes to seemingly put Real on course for victory after the hosts had taken the lead through a fine chip by Daniel Wass.

    Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas then saved a second-half penalty from Iago Aspas before, with only eight minutes left, Gomez nodded in a deserved equaliser.

    There was still time for Cristiano Ronaldo to lash an angled drive into the side-netting – and for Aspas to see what looked a strong shout for another penalty waved away after a clumsy challenge by Marcelo.

    The result left Zidane once again facing questions about the direction of his team which last season had swept all before them en route to domestic and European success.

    “Tomorrow will be another day and we will go back to work and think about the next matches.

    The season is very long,” Zidane said at a press conference, as quoted on the club’s official website.

    “We are not going to go crazy. I am the first one responsible.”

    Zidane accepted his side had not done enough to secure all three points.

    He said: “We are all a little angry with the result. Not with the first half, but with the second.

    “We can’t be happy with that. There was room to play a better game because we didn’t play well for 90 minutes.

    “We have to analyse our game in depth. We had many mistakes.

    “We have to have more confidence in our possibilities.”

    Midfielder Casemiro echoed the sentiments of the head coach.

    “We’ve dropped two points and now we have to keep working because we know there’s still a long way to go,” the Brazilian said after the match, as quoted on realmadrid.com.

    “At Madrid we never throw the towel in. If there’s one team that can turn this around it’s Real Madrid.

    “We continue to work hard because we can do this and we believe in ourselves. We all need to be performing better.”

    VIGO, SPAIN - JANUARY 07: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid reacts after missing a goal opportunity during the La Liga match between RC Celta de Vigo and Real Madrid at Municipal Balaidos on January 7, 2018 in Vigo, . (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)

    Ronaldo endured an off-night.

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