Real Madrid have 11 finals to win league title, says Zinedine Zidane

MADRID • Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said yesterday his side are "ready to adapt" to all the challenges that will come their way, as they host Eibar today following the Spanish La Liga's resumption after the three-month coronavirus-enforced break.

The match will be played behind closed doors, and at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium, where the club's B team play their matches. The change in venue is such that renovation work can press ahead at Real's Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

The 47-year-old Frenchman, who will reach 200 games in charge of Real over two stints, said at a virtual press conference: "I want to express my condolences to all those who've lost somebody during this crisis and I want to thank all the health workers. It's a difficult and strange moment.

"I don't like playing without fans, but we adapt to everything. It will be my weirdest game, at Di Stefano without an audience. But we adapt.

"We have prepared ourselves very well. We have had difficult times, and for many people it has been much worse. It is fortunate to be able to play again. We worked very well physically. Ready to start the competition again."

Discussing how he spent the lockdown, he lamented his skills in the kitchen. "I tried to cook, but I'm a disaster," he said.

"And a lot of time with family. We all had quite a bad time. Many lost loved ones. It affected everyone and me too. That's the bad part, but now the good thing is the return towards normality."

He confirmed that midfielder Marco Asensio and forward Eden Hazard are fit to feature after long-term injuries, but he did not give details of his starting line-up or his plans with the temporary five-substitution rule in place.

Hazard has endured a difficult debut season in Spain after his huge €100 million (S$156 million) transfer from Chelsea last summer.

The Belgian, 29, was expected to fill a void left by Cristiano Ronaldo, but he has spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch.

Following only 15 appearances and just one goal, he was set to miss the rest of the season after fracturing his ankle in February, but he has undergone surgery and is now fit and raring to go again.

Points between La Liga leaders Barcelona and rivals Real Madrid.

The coronavirus hiatus has also allowed him time to rest and recover and he appears to be fresh again.

Speaking ahead of today's match, Real's youth coach Alvaro Arbeloa claimed Hazard has returned to the fold "like an airplane".

Real have dropped points in 11 of their 27 league matches this season but are very much in title contention, largely due to their strong defensive form, conceding just 19 times in Spain's top flight, which is the best record at this stage.

But Los Blancos have also won only one of their last four games in La Liga before the lockdown.

They will have to find their form quickly, with two points separating them from leaders Barcelona (58) before Barca's match at Mallorca yesterday - the result of which was not available at press time.

"We're two points behind and we have 11 finals ahead. We'll give our all to try to win this league title," Zidane said. "The important thing is the preparation. We're confident in what we've worked on and now we just have to show it in the match."

REUTERS

Singtel TV Ch109 & StarHub Ch213, tomorrow, 1.25am