Zidane wants more

MADRID. — Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane claimed he wouldn’t settle for just winning the Champions League soccer title this season after moving to within a point of Barcelona at the top of the Spanish La Liga with a 5-1 thrashing of Getafe on Saturday.

Madrid have eaten into Barca’s massive lead at the top of the table thanks to a run of seven straight wins, whilst the Catalans have taken just one point from their last nine.

“Today I wouldn’t sign for that,” said Zidane when asked if he would settle for winning Madrid’s 11th Champions League at the expense of La Liga.

“We need to keep going until the end of the season.”

Madrid will face Manchester City in the Champions League semi-finals after a rousing comeback to beat Wolfsburg 3-2 on aggregate in midweek thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick. Ronaldo was on target once more with his 47th goal of the season to round off the scoring, but it was Karim Benzema who shone just days after it was confirmed he will not take part at Euro 2016.

The French Football Federation announced on Wednesday that Benzema will not be available for selection due to his role in a sex-tape blackmail plot against fellow French international Mathieu Valbuena.

Zidane had called on Benzema not to let his head drop for the remainder of the season and he responded by sweeping home the opening goal to register his best ever scoring season in La Liga with 22.

Benzema then teed up Isco and Gareth Bale either side of half-time before late goals from James Rodriguez and Ronaldo put the seal on another comprehensive win for Zidane’s men. — AFP.