http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...o-draw?cc=4716
Jose happy to draw
Jose Mourinho claims he would be satisfied with a 0-0 or even a 1-1 draw when Tottenham visit Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Real Madrid r currently struggling with an injury crisis tat has seen Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain, Karim Benzema & Marcelo all out of action. Xabi Alonso was also suspended 4 the 1-0 home defeat 2 Sporting Gijon on Saturday.
Mourinho believes tat, given the number of players currently sidelined, a goal-less draw would be a good platform 4 Madrid ahead of the 2nd leg @ White Hart Lane.
"I know our limitations, becos the players r dead," he said. "Even if we'd drawn 0-0 it would hv been a bad result in the league. Against Spurs, though, it would be a good result - or @ least it would not be a drama, especially if we hv injured players back 4 the decisive game in London."
He added: "We lacked all our creative players [against Sporting Gijon], except Mesut Ozil. If Cristiano plays against Spurs it is becos he & I r taking a risk. The doctor says he will only be fit 4 the game Bilbao next week.
"Marcelo is out for 2 weeks & Karim Benzema will only come 2 Bilbao & London, not play the home game. We could ignore the medical department but if it went wrong u would kill me & tat would be risk.
"Now we hv 2 see if we play people 2 try 2 settle the tie in the 1st leg or if we r satisfied with a draw, but 0-0 @ home is good & even 1-1 is not dramatic. It would be all open, so I'll talk 2 the injured players & decide whether we risk them."
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp - who has also been contending with a number of injury problems - says he is taking little encouragement fr Madrid's shock defeat as he feels it simply shows Mourinho is making Europe his priority.
"I'm not @ all fooled by the result," he told The Sun. "I've not watched the game on TV yet & 2 be honest I'm not sure it'll tell me all tat much.
"Jose rested so many players tat he's showed his hand @ wat his priority is tis season - winning a 3rd Champions League title with his 3rd different club. Wat an achievement tat would be, you hv 2 admit.
"No Xabi Alonso, Pepe, Karim Benzema. Tuesday's team will bear no resemblance 2 the one tat played on Saturday. We had Tim Sherwood & Les Ferdinand there watching 4 us & they've told me basically the same thing, so there was no point in me spending all day Sunday worried sick abt the game or rubbing my hands 2gether becos Jose's lost his 1st home match since 2002."
Redknapp said he is looking 4ward 2 leading his team out @ the Bernabeu but stressed tat he will only be satisfied if Spurs perform 2 their capabilities.
"Matches like this 1 don't come round very often, so we should make the most of it," he said. "We r massive underdogs & rightly so.
"Every1 keeps telling me 2 enjoy it, enjoy it, but I won't be able 2 unless we play well. As a manager, tat's all tat really concerns you. Yes, it'll be great 2 walk out with Tottenham @ the Bernabeu Stadium but, if we let ourselves down, there's no enjoyment in tat is there?"