Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez hailed the performance of his side as they played out a dour 0-0 draw against Paris Saint-Germain in the third round of the UEFA Champions League.
The big billing clash at the Parc des Princes between two European powerhouses eventually turned out to be a damp squib as both sides cancelled each other out. As a result of the goalless draw, both sides currently sit at 7 points from 3 matches in Group A. Interestingly, both sides are yet to concede a goal in Europe this season.
Real Madrid “Exceptional” against PSG declares Benitez
Rafa Benitez struck a positive tone after his side maintained their status at the top of Group A after three rounds played in the Champions League.
“We did enough to win the game,” said Benitez (via ESPNFC). “I would take nothing away from those who played. We were not just good, but exceptional.”
“I was convinced the team was going to do well. We had more chances and pretty good control of the game. We shot much more than PSG, and pressed more. With the absences we have, I am very satisfied.
“I am not concerned with possession of the ball,” he said. “The team defended when they had to, and attacked when they had to go up front. We achieved what we set out to do, we were an aggressive team, looking to find their goal.
“We saw the danger of Lucas, Jese, Ronaldo, Isco. All the things we planned for came out happening in the game, in a positive way. We were missing a few details, in both attack and defence, but the balance is exceptional.”
Ben tez: “Given the circumstances, we played an exceptional game.” READ: https://t.co/8kPOgB9jsT #RMUCL pic.twitter.com/RmlHuWh37O
a Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) October 21, 2015
Laurent Blanc “not satisfied” with draw against Real Madrid
Benitez’s counterpart Laurent Blanc, on the other hand, was left disappointed with his side’s performance against the Los Blancos. Speaking to the media after the match, Blanc felt that his side missed out on the opportunity to send out a message to their rivals by not registering a win against one of Europe’s very best.
“I am not satisfied with our performance, simply because we didn’t get the result we were aiming for,” said Blanc. “The first half was maybe more disappointing because we did well at building from the back but gave the ball away so many times in midfield.”
“We lacked a bit of aggression and desire to take on opponents. We tried to fix all this in the second half, when I thought we did a better job.
“The draw is deserved. We didn’t dominate Madrid, but they didn’t [dominate] either. I think we can say we competed with them. Maybe some people expected us to get a big win and send a message to all of Europe but that’s awfully hard to do against such a team.”
Laurent Blanc: “An even match” . #PSGREAL https://t.co/f5fzoNTRsR
a PSG English (@PSG_English) October 22, 2015
PSG draw a good result for injury ravaged Real Madrid
There is no doubt that Rafa Benitez was the happier of the two managers after his side’s goalless draw with Paris Saint-Germain in France on Wednesday. Real Madrid traveled to Paris with several key players such as Gareth Bale, Pepe, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Dani Carvajal and James Rodriguez out injured.
Benitez’s 4 man defence featuring Danillo, Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and Raphael Varane did exceptionally well neutralize PSG’s attacking triumvirate of Ibrahimovic, Cavani and Di Maria. It was perhaps no surprise to see Real Madrid fail to score against PSG considering the absence of four of their regular front six.
Considering injury stricken nature of his squad, Benitez would have been more than happy with a point away at PSG.