The La Liga No. 1 spot was at stake when Real Madrid faced off with Real Betis last weekend but the Spanish giants missed the mark, and now Barcelona is on top of the table again after the 2-1 defeat. Club boss Zinedine Zidane said his side played the worst of the season versus Betis and blame is all on him.
It was a disappointing setback because the Los Blancos had the chance to regain the league lead from Barca. Instead, the Camp Nou side is now two points ahead and essentially wiped out the loss suffered in the last El Clasico showdown.
The turn-back courtesy of Betis served as a huge blow to Real's title campaign with Zidane in charge, according to The Daily Mail. The French boss said he is solely to blame for the loss as he admitted the club that played last Sunday "lacked everything."
"It was our worst game of the season. We lacked everything; energy, play, possession, intensity. It's a bad day and it can happen. I'm the one responsible," the manager was reported as saying.
Real went down a week after the huge victory snatched against Barcelona, which was hoped that more wins would follow. Zidane can't find the right words to explain the sudden reversal. He can only promise that his side will do better in the upcoming games.
"I have to look at what happened; we're going to fight the league to the end. I am with my players till the death. I am responsible here. We will analyze what happened and move on," the Real boss vowed, and per Bleacher Report.
The pressure is building up on Zidane to get the players to give their best and avoid further disappointments. It has become more important to pick up wins, and in so doing, it is hoped that the burden will shift in Barcelona to catch up instead of Zidane's side.
And even more worrying is the task to avenge the first leg loss suffered against Manchester City. Real hosted the Premier League club at Santiago Bernabeu the last time, and it's a must-win situation for the Spanish giants when they meet again as a loss will mean getting eliminated from the Champions League for two seasons in a row.
Meanwhile, Zidane is said to be a target by Juventus as the Italian giants likely have gotten wind of the rumor that the Real manager could be on his way out as early as the coming summer. According to Football Espana, the Turin club could soon sack Maurizio Sarri and Zidane is on top of the list as a permanent replacement.
If Zidane will indeed be out of Bernabeu in the next few months, reports said the one to take over from him is former Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino. The Argentine is thought to be on Real's consideration to get the job in case of a sudden vacancy.
