Zidane faces son Enzo

• Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane will go up against his son Enzo Fernandez for the first time when he takes his struggling Spanish champions to Alaves on Saturday.

Midfielder Enzo, 22, left Real’s reserve team in the close season in search of first-team football at Alaves, where he has made two La Liga appearances so far.

But with his side already seven points behind early league leaders Barcelona and in desperate need of points, Zinedine will put his job over family ties.

“I hope he (Enzo) doesn’t score, we’ve got to look after our interests,” said the 1998 World Cup winner.

“I don’t know if it’ll be strange to be up against him but I’m happy for him because he’s doing a good job.

“I haven’t thought about it much. I’ll have my own feelings but the match is Alaves against Real Madrid, that’s the most important thing for me.”

For all Real’s early seasons struggles, Enzo has had it worse as he has played just 71 minutes despite Alaves failing to register a point or even score a goal so far this season.

Veteran Italian coach Gianni De Biasi takes charge for the first time against the European champions following the sacking of Luis Zubeldia.

And Enzo is hoping Alaves’ can kickstart their season, even if it comes at the expense of the club coached by his father and who he played for from the age of eight until just a few months ago.

“It is a special game, it is against my team since I was young,” Enzo told Alaves’ website.

“It will be strange, but also beautiful. I am desperate to play and let’s see if we can take a point off them.”

Zidane’s 19-year-old son Luca is also in the Real squad as third-choice goalkeeper, and like Enzo, he has played for the French Under-19 team, while his younger brothers Theo (15) and Elyaz (11) also play in Real youth sides.

Former Ballon d’Or winner Zidane said that he has not had a hands-on approach with Enzo’s career since he left the Santiago Bernabeu, after giving him his Real debut in a Copa Del Rey match last year, in which he scored.

“Enzo is very competitive, as am I. I’m watching his development as a player but I speak to him as a dad,” he added.

“I’m not his coach, I’m his dad and I don’t have to give him anything in terms of football. When we speak, it’s nothing more than a father-son relationship.”

Enzo admitted his first role model was his dad, but that it is the skills of Madrid midfielder Luka Modric he now tries to emulate.

“As a reference I have always had my dad because he is my dad and he was a great player,” he added.

“But of the current players my reference is Modric. He makes football look beautiful, I had the luck to share a dressing room with him last year to see him up close and learn from him.”

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/sports/news/160465/Zidane-faces-son-Enzo

Costa watches Griezmann fire Atletico into second

Diego Costa watched on from the directors’ box as Atletico Madrid leapfrogged Sevilla into second in La Liga thanks to goals from Yannick Carrasco and Antoine Griezmann in a 2-0 win at the Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday.

Costa’s drawn out move back to Atletico from Chelsea was finally agreed on Thursday, but the striker isn’t allowed to feature until the January transfer window opens.

However, the man who fired Atletico to La Liga in 2013/14, could still have a vital part to play in Atletico’s title challenge as they maintained an impressive start to the season despite the difficulties of a ban on registering new players and with their first three league games of the season away from home as a new 68,000 capacity home was completed.

Sevilla travelled to the Spanish capital unbeaten so far this season and came close early on when Pablo Sarabia’s shot was deflected onto his own post by Stefan Savic.

At the other end Filipe Luis then smashed the underside of the bar from Yannick Carrasco’s cutback in Atletico’s best effort of a first-half short on clear-cut chances.

However, it took less than a minute of the second-half to break the deadlock when Carrasco showed great awareness and pace to latch onto a short back pass from Steven N’Zonzi to beat Sergio Rico to the ball, round the keeper and slot into an empty net.

Griezmann then made the game safe 20 minutes from time as the French international won a tackle inside the Sevilla box before lifting himself off the floor to receive Luis’s pass and drill through Rico’s legs.

Diego Simeone then quickly withdrew Griezmann and Carrasco to keep them fresh for Wednesday’s visit of Chelsea in the Champions League.

But Atletico comfortably saw out the final stages to move to within a point of La Liga leaders Barcelona, who travel to Girona later on Saturday.

Real Madrid are also in action later at Alaves as they aim to close a seven-point gap on Barca following a shock 1-0 home defeat to Real Betis in midweek.

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/sports/news/160501/Costa-watches-Griezmann-fire-Atletico-into-second

Ceballos helps Real bounce back, Atletico down Sevilla

Dani Ceballos scored twice on his full debut as Real Madrid bounced back from a shock midweek defeat to Real Betis to close to within four points of La Liga leaders Barcelona with a 2-1 win at Alaves.

Earlier, Diego Costa was an interested spectator as Atletico Madrid leapfrogged Sevilla into second thanks to goals from Yannick Carrasco and Antoine Griezmann in a 2-0 win at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Barca can re-establish their four-point lead over Atletico with victory later at Girona.

Ceballos was one of three changes made to the side that lost to Betis by Zinedine Zidane as Luka Modric and Gareth Bale were left on the bench ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League trip to Borussia Dortmund.

And the Spanish under-21 settled Madrid’s nerves after just 10 minutes as he caught Fernando Pacheco flat-footed by pulling the ball inside the goalkeeper’s near post from the edge of the area.

Alaves caretaker coach Javier Cabello had denied Enzo Zidane the chance to face his father Zinedine and former club as he was left out the Alaves squad.

However, Cabello did manage to inspire a more spirited display from the hosts despite a sixth straight defeat as they scored their first goal of the season five minutes before half-time.

Alaves captain Manu Garcia met Munir El Haddadi’s cross flush to power a header into the top corner.

Madrid retook just three minutes later, though, as Ceballos pounced on a poor punch from Pacheco to fire into the bottom corner.

Real should have ensured a far more comfortable afternoon after the break as Pacheco made a great save to deny Isco, Cristiano Ronaldo struck the woodwork twice and Sergio Ramos blazed over with the goal at his mercy.

Yet, Alaves could also have snatched a first point of the season as Alfonso Pedraza’s deflected effort hit the bar before Pedraza struck the post when clean through on goal.

Atletico impress -

Atletico maintained their impressive start to the season despite the difficulties of a ban on registering new players.

Costa won’t be able to feature until January after completing his prolonged return to the club from Chelsea for a reported club record fee of 55 million euros ($66 million) plus 10 million more in add-ons.

“We are happy that a player of his stature wants to come to Atletico Madrid,” Atletico boss Diego Simeone said of Costa’s return.

Filipe Luis smashed the underside of the bar with Atletico’s best effort of a first-half short on clear-cut chances.

But it took less than a minute of the second period to break the deadlock when Carrasco showed great awareness and pace to latch onto a short back pass from Steven N’Zonzi to beat Sergio Rico to the ball, round the keeper and slot into an empty net.

Griezmann then made the game safe 20 minutes from time as the French international won a tackle inside the Sevilla box before lifting himself off the floor to receive Luis’s pass and drill through Rico’s legs.

“In the first-half we found it more difficult and they controlled the game,” added Simeone.

“But you could see with Carrasco, Griezmann and Filipe that if we got the final pass right we could win the game.

“At the start of the second-half we got the goal that put us on the right track.”

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/sports/news/160537/Ceballos-helps-Real-bounce-back-Atletico-down

Neymar-less PSG held by Montpellier

Paris Saint-Germain lost their perfect start to the Ligue 1 season as they struggled to a 0-0 draw at Montpellier on Saturday without the injured Neymar.

With the world’s most expensive player on the sidelines to ensure his fitness for Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Bayern Munich, PSG were uninspiring in attack against a stubborn Montpellier side playing in a 5-4-1 formation.

Rising star Kylian Mbappe had the best of the visitors’ chances, but the 18-year-old was profligate in front of goal as Unai Emery’s men could only extend their lead at the top of the table over reigning champions Monaco to one point.

Source : http://en.prothom-alo.com/sports/news/160541/Neymar-less-PSG-held-by-Montpellier