Zinedine Zidane still positive despite Tottenham extending Real Madrid's winless run

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Ben Hayward30 July 2019

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane says he remains positive despite his side's 1-0 loss to Tottenham in the Audi Cup on Tuesday and insists his team "just needs a win".

Harry Kane's first-half goal gave Spurs a narrow victory at the Allianz Arena and extended Madrid's winless run in normal time to four matches in pre-season.

Zidane's side lost 3-1 to Bayern Munich in their first pre-season match in the International Champions Cup, before a 2-2 draw (and win on penalties) against Arsenal and last Friday's humiliating 7-3 defeat to Atletico in New Jersey.

"I always think positive," Zidane said after the loss in Munich. "Nobody can take away what we are going to do this year. I know it's complicated because we are starting a difficult season, we have started in a difficult way. [But] I know I have a great team.

"We are not ready yet, it shows. We are going to improve our play, have more confidence, more everything. What we need right now is to win a game, that's the truth."

Madrid will have another chance to do that on Wednesday against Fenerbahce in the third and fourth-placed play-off after the Turkish side were thrashed by Bayern Munich in the late game.

Gareth Bale will not feature at all in that match, just as he did not play against Spurs, having stayed behind in Madrid after his move to China fell through on Sunday.

"He didn't travel because he didn't feel... he wasn't right and, speaking to the doctors, it was better that he stayed in Madrid," Zidane said. "He has been training there. It's a joint decision, with the doctors and with me, we decided, speaking to him."

One player who also looks set to be at Real Madrid this season is James Rodriguez, who is back after two seasons on loan at Bayern Munich.

"I don't know what will happen," Zidane said. "We're here, training." And asked again about the Colombian, he said: "I'm not up to date."

Madrid's man of the match against Spurs was goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who shone in the absence of the injured Thibaut Courtois, although the Belgian is still expected to be preferred when both are fit.

"Keylor played a great game," Zidane said. "What Courtois said the other day (about being first choice), we'll have to see what he said. I don't think there's any player here guaranteed to start."

And asked about possible new signings in the next month, the Frenchman said: "Anything can happen until August 31st. But our mind is here, focused on playing games and on preparing for the new season."

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