Champions League: Mourinho pleased with all-round Real

Spanish side inch closer to semis after beating Galatasaray 3-0 in first-leg.

MADRID:

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho was delighted with his side’s professionalism as they all but secured their place in the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-0 win over Galatasaray.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain got the goals for the hosts, but Mourinho was just as happy with the defensive side of their performance in the first leg of their quarter-final.

“The team played a serious and well-balanced game,” said Mourinho. “We defended well and counter-attacked with danger. Higuain and Benzema scored a goal and this is good for their confidence.”

Indeed, with such a comfortable lead to take to Istanbul next week, the Portuguese admitted his biggest task will be to ensure his troops are not complacent.

“I have enough experience to know we have a very good result and will try everything to convince my players that it is not over and try to play with the same mentality as tonight.”

Galatasaray boss Fatih Terim, meanwhile, accepted there was a gulf in class between the sides, but claimed the Turkish champions had been very harshly treated when Norwegian referee Svein Oddvar Moen showed Burak Yilmaz a yellow card for diving rather than awarding a penalty when he was clipped by Sergio Ramos in the second-half.

“Maybe the Real Madrid name affected Galatasaray and the referee didn’t have the courage to show a card when he had to,” said Terim. “I think the referee made many mistakes, the whole stadium could see that Ramos stood on Burak’s foot.”

Dortmund’s Goetze rues missed chances

Meanwhile, Germany star Mario Goetze admitted being frustrated by his lack of finishing as Borussia Dortmund had to settle for a goalless draw at Malaga in the Champions League quarter-final, first-leg.

The 20-year-old central midfielder squandered two clear chances to grab a valuable away goal on Wednesday night and means there is still all to play for in Tuesday’s second-leg in Dortmund.

“We had huge chances, especially for me personally,” fumed Goetze.

“I definitely should have scored two goals, it clearly wasn’t my day and I could have done more to help the team.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2013.