Real Madrid's resounding 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 caused a stir in Madrid. Following the match, Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa shared his thoughts on the result, the game plan, and the team's morale.
Arbeloa first pointed out that the result turned out to be even better than they expected. According to him, he was pleased to see the players enjoying the game at the Santiago Bernabéu and acting confidently both in attack and defense. The coach emphasized that the team deserved such a victory, especially after the last difficult trials.
"The result turned out to be better than we expected. I was pleased that the players enjoyed the game at the Santiago Bernabéu, they deserved such a victory after the last difficult trials," Arbeloa said.
He also recalled that doubts about Real Madrid's power were voiced in the outside world. But Arbeloa responded to such statements briefly and harshly: "We are 'Real' and we cannot be belittled." That is, he did not hide the fact that this victory restored the reputation of the "cream colored" not only on the scoreboard, but also psychologically.
Tactically, Arbeloa said they were well aware of City's playing style and Pep Guardiola's philosophy. He emphasized that the Madrid side didn't leave any empty space for the opponent, blocked the main passing lanes, and distanced City from their usual "breaking through passes" plan. The coach also highlighted an important detail: City often pushes the opponent forward, then tries to punish them with a quick counter-attack. Real Madrid, acting patiently, managed to create dangerous situations by attacking the rear.
"We know City's playing style and Guardiola's tactics well, we understand what he's striving for. We didn't leave them any free space on the field and closed their main passing lanes.
The opponents will try to push you forward and then counter-attack, but by playing patiently and attacking their rear, we managed to create dangerous chances," Arbeloa said.
Of course, on this night the score could have been even higher. If Vinicius Junior had accurately converted a penalty, the scoreboard gap would likely have become even larger. But for Arbeloa, the main thing is the team's overall work and the result.
One of the coach's most touching words was about Valverde. Arbeloa called the Uruguayan midfielder a "modern Juanito" and described him as a living example of how a Real Madrid player should play. These words sounded like a high appraisal of the madrid philosophy of "living for the soul, character, and community," not a playful praise.
"For me, Valverde is a modern Juanito, a model of how a Real Madrid player should play," said Arbeloa.
As a reminder, the second leg will take place on March 17th at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. For Arbeloa and Real Madrid, the task now is the same: not to be deceived by the advantage in the first game, but to prepare for the second leg as if it were 0:0 and see things through to the end.
Read “Zamin” on Telegram!
