At a glance
- Real Madrid have to mount a comeback in the Allianz Arena next week, to overturn a 2-1 Champions League quarterfinal first leg defeat to Bayern Munich.
- First up are Girona in La Liga, however, in a rare Friday night match for Los Blancos.
- Appearing before the media to preview the meeting with the Catalans, head coach Alvaro Arbeloa says that beating Bayern begins against Girona.
Under-fire Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa attempted to rouse the troops at a prematch press conference on Thursday by saying that a Champions League comeback against Bayern Munich begins with Girona before the weekend.
Los Blancos lost 2-1 to the Bavarians in the Bernabeu, but Arbeloa and Antonio Rudiger believe that the 15-time winners can pull off one more remontada in Europe to advance to the last four.
Things aren’t great domestically either, with a shock 2-1 loss to Mallorca last weekend allowing FC Barcelona to open up a seven-point gap at the top of the table.
Before the media in Valdebebas, however, Arbeloa appeared optimistic that his men can turn things around on both fronts.
Girona shouldn’t be a casting test for Real Madrid’s players
Arbeloa refused to accept that Girona provides a chance for the players to win their starting berth against Bayern.
“We don’t have trials,” he said. “We’re looking forward to the Munich game. Since the whistle blew, we want to prove what we are capable of at the Allianz.
“Before that we have to focus on tomorrow. Wednesday’s game starts tomorrow. We will have to play a great game. We have four days to recover and in everyone’s mind is to give our best. It is the only objective. To put out a great team and play a great game,” Arbeloa stated.
Then asked if it will be difficult to motivate his players for Girona, Arbeloa said: “They’re the first ones who want to play. More than me. Any Madrid player when they can’t win and something like that happens to you, you would want to play the next day. I’ve spoken to many and they are willing, available and eager to give a great game to the fans and ourselves”.
Arbeloa isn’t thinking about Real Madrid rotations
Arbeloa said that he wants “to go out and win” in the Bernabeu. “I think again, despite the result, that I took out the best players in Mallorca. I don’t think about rotations. The most important game I have as a coach is tomorrow. I will put out a team that lives up to it,” he vowed.
For Bayern, though, with Aurelien Tchouameni suspended, it’s already expected that Jude Bellingham could start in a deeper midfield role.
After struggling with Michael Olise, it also looks like Alvaro Carreras is set to be replaced by a Ferland Mendy that hasn’t been dribbled past this season.
