Zidane will not ´go crazy´ despite Real Madrid slump

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane insists he is not going to go crazy despite acknowledging a poor start to the season that has left them trailing Barcelona by seven points.

The Spanish and European champions suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Real Betis on Wednesday, with a stoppage-time header from Antonio Sanabria ruining Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to domestic action after suspension.

Madrid failed to score for the first time since April 2016, ending a run of 73 consecutive games with a goal, but Zidane refuses to panic ahead of Saturday’s LaLiga match away at Alaves.

Though already adrift of table-topping Barcelona, having failed to win at home in the league this season, Zidane has total faith that goals and positive results will return. 

“I don’t think there is any concrete explanation,” Zidane said of Madrid’s slump ahead of the Alaves trip, which Toni Kroos will miss with a view to bringing him back against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

“Sometimes you just have lots of chances and the ball just doesn’t go in. We haven’t been able to score goals and that has been the problem, but I’m not worried.

“We analyse of course – that is our job to try to improve things – but the most important thing is to make chances. I would be more worried if we hadn’t made chances. 

“With the players we have got, if we are having chances the ball will go in and I hope it will on Saturday. 

“Remember we scored three at San Sebastian [against Real Sociedad] just three days before Betis. It was a game where we played really well and won. So what changed? I try to stay the same each time – if we win, we get three points, but I am not going to go crazy if we lose. 

“We have a game on Saturday, a game in the Champions League, then another game [against Espanyol on October 1]. We have a lot of matches, so luckily we can change things very quickly and that is what we are going to do.”

We’re all set for tomorrow’s LaLiga match against @Alaves! #RMCity #RMLiga pic.twitter.com/CGP0WRuRuo

— Real Madrid C.F.