Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster claims his team may have to curb their attacking play if they are to retain the Spanish championship this season.
Schuster watched as Valencia's Angel Arizmendi scored a late goal to defeat Real 3-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday as the champions saw their lead at the top shaved to four points.
"It is hugely disappointing to have lost this match but that is football and sometimes you don't know how things will turn out," Schuster said. "The truth is that recently we have been made to pay for our mistakes."
PHOTO: AP
"I have already told some players that sometimes in these matches it is sometimes better to secure the draw. It wasn't necessary to risk so much to create a chance," he said.
Barcelona crushed Valladolid 4-1 to move four points behind Real who have lost successive league matches to Deportivo La Coruna and Valencia.
Defender Pepe backed his manager's words and called for a less gung-ho approach.
"When we led 2-1 we had to be a bit calmer," Pepe said. "They were tired after a difficult midweek match. There is still a long way to go in the league and we need to stay calm so that there is no repeat in the next match."
"We have to think what we are going to do to ensure we don't make the same mistake and fight to come out of this situation," he said.
Real host Sevilla, who have already beaten them this season, next weekend and German coach Schuster will no doubt be alarmed by his team's form since the turn of the year.
This year Real have been beaten by Almeria, Real Betis, Getafe, Depor and Valencia compared with last year when they lost just twice.
Valencia coach Ronald Koeman has certainly done his old club and close friend Frank Rjikaard, a fellow member of the Netherlands' 1988 European championship winning team, a big favor and Barca will hope to to stay in touching distance of Real, knowing they face their foe at the beginning of May.
"We have to be more concentrated if we want to win both competitions [the Champions League and La Liga] but we can win them both," Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o said.
Top seeds Alexander Zverev of Germany and American Coco Gauff on Tuesday advanced to the third round of the Canadian Open after both players were pushed hard by their opponents. World No. 3 Zverev, playing in his first match since his first-round loss at Wimbledon, was far from his best, but emerged with a 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 win over Adam Walton under the lights in Toronto. Momentum shifted firmly in Zverev’s favor when he won a 52-shot rally in the first set tiebreak and he sealed the win on a double fault by the Australian in the second set. “It was a very
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
RSS