Robben, Metzelder Self-Critical Of Performance
Real Madrid pair Arjen Robben and Christoph Metzelder well less than pleased with their own performances despite the team twice rallying from behind to beat Numancia 4-3.
Real Madrid pair Arjen Robben and Christoph Metzelder well less than pleased with their own performances despite the team twice rallying from behind to beat Numancia 4-3.
Los Merengues got their 2008/09 Bernabéu debut off to a rocky start going behind against newly promoted Numancia after just six minutes. Despite Guti’s 18th minute equalizer, they soon found themselves on the backfoot again three minutes later.
But the men in white rallied to score three more goals in the first half and held on to win 4-3, although winger Arjen Robben and defender Christoph Metzelder were highly critical of their own, as well as the team’s performance.
“We began the game committing too many mistakes and their first goal was due to my error,” the Dutchman said during the post-match interview.
“I did not mark the player (Moreno) who scored from the corner. But the most important thing is that we managed to score four goals to win the game,” he continued.
The former Chelsea man then praised their opponents for another gritty performance:
“Numancia are a small team but they are a very strong side and they are enjoying a good phase at the moment."
“They showed that against Barça and they showed it again tonight at the Bernabéu. In football nowadays, there are no more small teams,” added Robben.
Metzelder was a surprise inclusion in the first XI due to Sergio Ramos’ last minute injury and coach, Bernd Schuster’s decision to rest both Fabio Cannavaro and Gabriel Heinze.
But the German international was far from happy with his side’s defending: “To concede three goals at home is bad."
“We made life complicated for ourselves because we didn’t play as a team in the second half and Numancia improved a lot and forced us to fight for the three points."
But the 27 year old would have endeared himself to the Bernabéu faithful for soldiering on despite a nasty collision of heads with teammate Mahamadou Diarrà."
“I took four staples without anaesthesia because we didn’t have time and we needed to carry on playing. But now, I will start feeling the pain,” he concluded.