Vini Jr. was named man of the match in Real Madrid's tie against Chelsea. The Brazilian, who was instrumental in Benzema's goal and assisted Asensio in the 2-0 victory, had a great game in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, with 4 chances created, 2 assists and 19 touches in the opposition box. He has been one of the key men in Real Madrid’s Champions League performances. The youngster has already scored 6 times and provided 4 assists in 9 appearances in this Campaign.
He said: "We played very well, we pressured well and played as well as we did last season. It was one of the best games of the season so far and it's great to win at home. Now it's time to think about the second leg and remember that we have to keep a level head. We had a lot of space and we wanted to score more goals, but we were playing against a great team. We were eager to score more goals because we know how difficult away games can be. Now it's time to rest because we have to put in a good performance in the second leg”.
Madridismo: “Every player who pulls on this jersey know that playing in the Champions League is special at this club, especially at the Bernabéu when the fans get right up for it. At Madrid, you have to play with that desire in the Champions League”.
Fitness: “I train with Pintus and then at home with my personal trainer so I’m in the best possible shape for these games. At this stage of the season, other players tend to dip a bit and I always try and increase my levels”.
Thibaut Courtois also spoke for the press after the game. The goalkeeper reflected: “When you're playing against 10 you get the feeling we could have killed the tie with another goal or two. They could have headed away having snatched a goal in the final minute but Rüdiger put in a stunning block. It was a difficult game and 2-0 is a good result. We're slightly frustrated not to have got the third or fourth goal and we know the return leg will be tough. I hope we don't regret having failed to score another”.
His interventions: “They started well with some good counter-attacks but I managed to make a couple of good stops before the goal. At 1-1 it would have been a blow mentally, I'm pleased with my save from Sterling, I did well to keep it out”.
Complete performance: “We put in a complete performance from a defensive perspective and we didn't allow them many chances, aside from in the final minute. We should have kept the ball better there in the last couple of minutes of the game to ensure they didn't get the chance to score”.
Second leg: "We have to approach the second leg as if it were a draw, like in the match against Barça in the Copa. We have to go into it with a winning mentality. If you go into it to speculate, they could pull two back and the tie will be all level like what happened last year. In that game we didn't start well, they quickly took the lead and that can get them back into the tie. I hope we start the game better there and score first”.
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