MX23RW : Wednesday, April 24 15:32:06| >> :120:3894:3894:
[monks data]
Attendance: 49,269
Real Madrid logo
La Liga | Gameweek 29
Mar 31, 2019 at 7.45pm UK
 
Huesca logo

3-2

Isco (25'), Ceballos (62'), Benzema (89')
FT(HT: 1-1)
Cucho (3'), Etxeita (74')

Zinedine Zidane expects Karim Benzema stay

Zinedine Zidane expects Karim Benzema stay
© Reuters
Los Blancos narrowly beat LaLiga's bottom club Huesca on Sunday night.

Zinedine Zidane admits it is difficult not to be aiming for trophy success at Real Madrid this season but believes his players showed motivation to come from behind and beat lowly Huesca.

Karim Benzema scored a last-gasp winner to secure a 3-2 win and spare Real Madrid's blushes against LaLiga's bottom club.

After falling behind early on to Cucho Hernandez's strike, Zinedine Zidane's side thought they had turned things around through Isco and Dani Ceballos.

But the lowly visitors levelled through Xabier Etxeita, only for Benzema to settle the game with a stunning 89th-minute strike.

Zidane won three Champions League titles in a row before leaving the Bernabeu but is now back at the helm and does not have the chance to add to his silverware this season.

"At a team like Madrid, when you know you will not win a trophy, it is difficult, in moments during games," he told reporters after the game.

"That is normal. But we are all pros here and will try and finish the season as well as possible – motivation is intrinsic and each player has their own."

Zidane also explained his decision to pick his son as Luca Zidane made his first competitive appearance of the season, starting in goal for the win.

"I was not picking my son, but a player in Real Madrid's squad," he said.

"I see him as one other player for the team. I am happy for him, for his debut here, with a victory.

"But that is Luca, he is the third keeper. Thibaut (Courtois) was out and I wanted to give Keylor (Navas) a rest after playing with his country. It came out well."

Madrid confirmed on their website on Saturday evening that Courtois was suffering from tendonitis and it remains to be seen if Navas will come back in for Thursday's trip to in-form Valencia.

Meanwhile, Benzema's long-term future remains in doubt but Zidane insists he will keep faith in the 31-year-old who could be set for a summer move away.

"This year is maybe Karim's best year," Zidane added.

"I will count on him, there are nine games left, and that is the most important, to finish the season well.

"Then we will see what happens, but Karim is a player at this club. I don't believe that will change."

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Press Association Sport staff');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', 'c3688f58-daaa-4654-b57f-2a0e3b710a5b');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:club-news,paservice:sport:football,paservice:sport:match-reports,paservice:sport:uk,paservice:sport:world');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Zidane insists Real Madrid are still motivated despite lack of trophy chances'});

ID:354945: cacheID:354945:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5071:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba in action during his side's Premier League clash with Fulham on February 9, 2019
Read Next:
Zidane hails "different kind of player" Pogba
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Result
Munar
Borges
7 6
5 4
Result
Navone
Popyrin
7 6
5 2
Result
Vukic
Daniel
2 77 1
6 61 6
Result
Bouzas Maneiro
Badosa
2 6 6
6 3 3
Result
Davis
Sherif
6 64 4
4 77 6
Result
Putintseva
Yuan
6 6
2 4
Result
Stephens
Trevisan
6 5 6
3 7 4
Result
Zhu
Jimenez Kasintseva
4 3
6 6
Result
Altmaier
Landaluce
6 7
1 5
11.30am
Rinderknech
Shevchenko
Result
Safiullin
Seyboth Wild
4 4
6 6
11.30am
Arango
Anisimova
Result
Sorribes Tormo
Pera
7 6
5 2
11.30am
Zhang
Rogers
Result
Osaka
Minnen
6 6
4 1
Result
Vekic
Siegemund
6 6
1 2
1pm
Darderi
Monfils
1pm
Karatsev
Marozsan
1pm
Van Assche
Bergs
1pm
Linette
Cocciaretto
1pm
Wang
Tomova
1pm
Wang
Dolehide
1.30pm
Dart
Bucsa
1.30pm
Raducanu
Lourdes Carle
2.30pm
Bronzetti
Gracheva
2.30pm
Frech
Cristian
2.30pm
Hibino
Krueger
3pm
Coric
Hassan
3pm
Kokkinakis
Draper
3pm
Nakashima
Bagnis
3pm
Van De Zandschulp
Eubanks
4pm
Baptiste
Saville
4pm
Bejlek
Blinkova
4pm
Errani
Wozniacki
4pm
Montgomery
Avanesyan
4.30pm
Klein
Llamas Ruiz
4.30pm
Burel
Danilovic
5pm
Moutet
Shang
5.30pm
Diaz Acosta
Shapovalov
6pm
Andreeva
Townsend
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Real Madrid32256170224881
2Barcelona32217464372770
3GironaGirona32215667402768
4Atletico MadridAtletico32194959382161
5Athletic Bilbao321610652302258
6Real Sociedad321312746341251
7Real BetisBetis32121284038248
8Valencia32138113534147
9Villarreal32119125155-442
10Getafe32913103844-640
11Osasuna32116153746-939
12Sevilla32910134145-437
13Las PalmasLas Palmas32107153039-937
14AlavesAlaves3298152838-1035
15Rayo Vallecano32713122739-1234
16Celta Vigo32710153747-1031
17Mallorca32613132638-1231
18CadizCadiz32413152245-2325
19Granada3239203361-2818
20Almeria32111203164-3314


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!