Pepe & Gago

"The team showed a lot of heart"

Carlos Cristóbal / Translation by Matthew Goltz

Pepe and Gago discussed the keys to victory following the match.

Pepe:
"The win is what counts. We capitalized on our first half chance and that's all we needed to qualify. We played well, and although we struggled a little in the second half, we withstood the pressure and didn't concede a goal. It was hard to play in such cold weather, but we still managed to start strong and score early. That was one of the keys."

"We knew how important a match it was and we didn't want to lose focus. We were a little tired in the second half but the team held strong in defense and was very serious. We had chances to score the second but they didn't materialize. We are through to the next round and are now able to host Zenit knowing that our job is done."

Gago:
"We wanted to qualify and we did. We won thanks to Raúl's goal and great teamwork. The team show a lot of heart and played well. I feel good physically and mentally. The team is on the right track."

"This Real Madrid has great players. We're on the perfect path to success. We didn's suffer too much because BATE barely had any scoring opportunities. I am pleased with the win, which allows us to focus on the league and Saturday's match against Getafe."

source - www.realmadrid.com

"Mission accomplished"

Raúl & Torres: "Teamwork was the key to qualifying"

Carlos Cristóbal / Translation by Matthew Goltz

Raúl and Torres were both on the pitch when the captain scored the game winner, which proved enough to send the team through to the next round.

Raúl:
"We are pleased with the result and because we are on to the next round. We scored early and had to suffer at the end for the hard-earned won. Mission accomplished."

"BATE are very used to this kind of weather and they tried to use it to their advantage. We will now be more relaxed when hosting Zenit and we can forget about the Champions League until February."

"I am happy that the goal sent us throug to the Last 16. We need to continue working hard and improving."

Torres:
"The victory and points are all that count, but we also kept them from scoring. We scored early and knew how to hold on."

"Teamwork was the key to qualifying. We need to focus on working and improving. We cannot relax."

"It had been a while since I played. I played at home against Recreativo Huelva after several weeks of training with the team. I feel a lot better after playing two straight matches."

source - www.realmadrid.com

"I'd like to congratulate Madridistas"

Calderón: "This is the second straight match without conceding a goal"

Carlos Cristóbal / Translation by Matthew Golts

Real Madrid President Ramón Calderón was extremely satisfied knowing the team will be among those in the Last 16 draw.

"I am happy for all Madridista fans. We have qualified for the next stage of the Champions League with this victory. It was very cold and keep in mind that Juventus were unable to win here."

"We are now calm heading into the next match against Zenit, where we can try to finish as the top team in the group."

"This is the second straight match without conceding a goal, proving how sound we are. Last year we didn't concede goals, and this is the right track to be on this season. I'd like to congratulate Madridistas."

source - www.realmadrid.com