Ramos and López keep faith in Madrid
Thursday, February 14, 2013
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Real Madrid CF's Sergio Ramos and Diego López agreed that ending their round of 16 first leg with a 1-1 draw against visitors Manchester United FC is not the end of the world.
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Despite being caught out by Danny Welbeck's first-half opener for Manchester United FC in last night's UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg, Real Madrid CF captain Sergio Ramos said he was undaunted by the prospect of his side having to travel to Old Trafford needing to score an away goal. His team-mate Diego López concurred, saying that in spite of Cristiano Ronaldo finding the target in the 1-1 draw, no first-leg result would have left the tie resolved.
Sergio Ramos, Madrid defender
We would have liked to be going to Old Trafford with a different result, but we have to be optimistic and appreciate the great game Real Madrid played today even in spite of the fact that we missed a lot of chances. I'd like to thank our fans for their support, because that is something that the team values a lot. We are leaving with a slightly bittersweet taste in our mouths. On some days, clear opportunities just don't translate into goals, but every player put in a huge effort.
We will have to travel to Manchester and show the same mentality as we did today while believing that we can win. We have to take into account that we are facing a great rival; we need to show the utmost of respect to them. The main thing is that we convince ourselves we can win.
Diego López, Madrid goalkeeper
The draw wasn't a fair result, in my opinion – a win for us would have been because we had really clear goalscoring opportunities. We are leaving here knowing we will have opportunities in the return leg. We wanted to win, but with a 1-1 draw the tie is open and up for grabs for both teams. [Robin] van Persie had two really good chances at the end, but, as luck would have it, I managed to save them.
We won't obsess over their goal tonight because we know we can score in England. In every aspect our team was good. We realised whatever result we obtained here wasn't going to settle the decider, so we aren't disappointed [with a draw]. We must go there looking to win. Personally, I'm attempting to enjoy every minute here because games like tonight are unique and for a footballer it's the highest standard there is.
