Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) (AFP)
"We do not come here to walk," warned French Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane at a press conference on Tuesday, on the eve of the Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Valencia in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).
"This is the first edition in Saudi Arabia and the competition is a great hope. We are here for it, we do not come here to walk. It is an important competition and we want to give everything to make a great match tomorrow (Wednesday), "Zidane said Tuesday evening at a press conference.
"Each match is unique. It's not like playing a La Liga match: we both play away from home, it's only one dry match, there are injuries ... Everything changes, but our mentality , it does not change, "blew the Madrid technician again.
"There is no favorite. The four teams that are here are the four favorites to win. The only thing we think about is our game tomorrow. It's a semi-final, but for us it will be a final, "continued" ZZ ".
Wednesday at 19:00 GMT, Real Madrid, which obtained the fourth and last qualifying ticket for the Spanish Super Cup as the best semi-finalist in the last King's Cup, will face Valencia CF without Eden Hazard, still not handed over 'a fractured right ankle, and without his star attackers Gareth Bale or Karim Benzema.
The Frenchman is affected by the hamstring muscles of the left thigh and the Welshman suffers from an "upper respiratory infection", the Madrid club said on Monday.
In the absence of Bale and Benzema, the young Serbian center-forward Luka Jovic (22, 1 goal in 15 games since his arrival this summer from Eintracht Frankfurt) could be on the front line of the Madrid attack. "An important option", according to "Zizou".
"Luka Jovic is the future. You have to take it easy with him. He is a youngster who wants to learn and play. He can set goals, but what interests me is the complete player that he can be. But he's only been with us for five or six months, so a little peace of mind, "said Zidane.
© 2020 AFP