Zidane explains decision to bench key midfielder Casemiro

Matt Stead

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane explained his decision to bench Casemiro for their Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich.

Real eventually went through 4-3 on aggregate after a 2-2 result on the night, but Bayern had led early through Joshua Kimmich and a strike from James Rodriguez – who is on loan at the German club from Real.

However, the hosts withstood considerable pressure to keep their bid for a third successive title on track.

The defending champions will now play either Liverpool or Roma in the final in Kiev later this month.

“When I leave players on the bench, it’s not to discourage. I make decisions. We are a group of twenty-five players, so I make choices, and I made the choice of leaving Casemiro on the bench today. He is a player who plays often. But it’s a choice of the moment.

“We were not very good in the first half, but it was better in the second half. We pressed them up. This goal, taken quickly, prevented us from being confident. Until the last minute, we do not give up. It’s the DNA of this club. But that’s also true for Bayern. That’s why we love football. Tonight, we can be happy because we are still in the final.

“Benzema? He deserved his brace, he worked a lot, he never let anything go.”