Real Madrid’s Angel di Maria wary of second-leg clash against Tottenham Hotspur in Champions League
Real Madrid winger Angel di Maria has warned his team of complacency against Tottenham Hotspur and admitted that it would be a difficult task to beat the London side in front of their fans at White Hart Lane.
Real Madrid defeated Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 in the first leg of the quarter-final fixture at Santiago Bernabeu to boost their chances of a last four place in the competition. Emmanuel Adebayor scored a brace whereas di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo scored a
goal each in a virtually one-sided affair.
Di Maria said that the return leg in London would be a difficult fixture for the Los Blancos and they cannot afford to be complacent against the opposition. The former Benfica player added that the atmosphere at White Hart Lane could put a lot of pressure
on the away side and Madrid have to be wary of that.
“The atmosphere in London could complicate things for us in the second leg. The return leg will be a different match,” the winger was quoted as saying.
The Argentinean sensation also expressed his delight on the win and said that he was satisfied with his performance in the game. He added that scoring goals in a match gives a lot of confidence to the players and the result has put a lot of pressure off
them.
Di Maria claimed that Real Madrid dealt with the pressure and capitalised on the mistakes made by the opposition. He revealed that the sending-off of Peter Crouch was a turning point in the match as the hosts took full advantage of the extra manpower on
the field.
“It was clear for all to see that we put in a good performance out there. We finished the match in great fashion. We stayed very relaxed and dealt with this encounter very well,” concluded the 23-year-old.
The Argentina international has been a superb signing for the Madrid giants. Di Maria has so far scored 9 goals in the ongoing 2010-11 season from a total of 45 games including 18 assists.