Zidane's gritty Galacticos the Real deal

Madrid's never-say-die attitude and manager's bold squad rotation prove crucial in bumping Barcelona off its domestic perch

MADRID - Zinedine Zidane's transformation of Real Madrid from crisis club to champion has been rooted not in the glamor of relying purely on 'Galactico' talent but fostering a team spirit and never-say-die attitude.

Madrid sealed a first La Liga title in five years on Sunday - and 33rd in total - with a 2-0 victory at Malaga, courtesy of goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, halting Barcelona's dominance of domestic matters. The Catalans have won six of the previous eight titles.

Zidane has claimed four trophies since taking charge in January last year and could add a fifth by retaining the Champions League against Juventus on June 3 in Cardiff.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane is carried by his players as they celebrate winning La Liga after a 2-0 triumph at Malaga on Sunday. Jon Nazca / Reuters

However, the fact that the winning margin was a mere three points shows Madrid needed to fall back on every member of its star-studded squad and every one of a series of late fightbacks.

"Watching what they do on the pitch, this squad is spectacular," said Zidane on Saturday.

"Those that have played less have been at the same level as those that have played the most and, in a 60-game season that is very difficult physically. That has been important."

Madrid garnered 17 points from goals scored in the last 10 minutes of nine matches.

"There is no such thing as luck in football," said Zidane after one of those late shows at Sporting Gijon last month.

"It is in our DNA to fight until the end at Real Madrid."

The most important late goal of all might have been one that didn't even earn a victory, but saw a three-point swing in the title race as a stoppage-time Sergio Ramos header earned a 1-1 draw at Barcelona in December.

Barca got its revenge in a 3-2 El Clasico defeat last month, when Lionel Messi capped a virtuoso display by scoring with the last kick of the game.

However, if Messi showed that night that Barca may still have the best player, this term Madrid had the best squad.

For late-season games at Eibar, Gijon, Deportivo la Coruna, Leganes and Granada, Zidane left a host of first-team regulars, including Ronaldo, out of his squad entirely.

The so-called Madrid B-team rewarded the Frenchman by scoring 21 goals and winning all five of those games.

"We always had the best players, but this time all the players are motivated, have minutes and match rhythm, not just 11," said Ramos.

Zidane's ability to keep those that previously felt sidelined motivated has also borne fruit in keeping the likes of Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos fresh late in the season.

Ronaldo's opener after just two minutes in Malaga was his 14th goal in his last nine games.

A La Liga and Champions League double would be Madrid's first for 59 years.

And, despite the superstars at Zidane's disposal, that would be a magnificent feat for a man only 17 months into his first stint in senior management.

Agence France-Presse

Five stars of Real's title triumph

Real Madrid ended a five-year La Liga title drought following a 2-0 triumph over Malaga on Sunday - the Spanish giant's 33rd top-flight crown in total. Here AFP looks at five players central to the success of Zinedine Zidane's squad over the course of the season.

 

Sergio Ramos

Madrid's captain is a leader with both words and actions at both ends of the pitch. Ramos has become a specialist in important late goals in recent years and arguably scored his team's most important one of the season deep into stoppage time to rescue a draw against Barcelona at Camp Nou back in December. The 31-year-old central defender repeated the trick a week later with a late winner against Deportivo la Coruna.

 

Casemiro

The biggest single tactical shift since Zinedine Zidane became coach has been the promotion of tough-tackling Brazilian Casemiro at the expense of more glamorous names like James Rodriguez. Casemiro often walks a fine line with his discipline, but he protects a back four often exposed by Madrid's attacking intent, adds a physical edge in midfield and frees up Toni Kroos and Luka Modric to use their creativity further up the pitch.

 

Toni Kroos

Real's quiet assassin. Kroos has provided one of his team's most potent weapons all season with his superb set-piece delivery. The German has 17 assists to his name and routinely leads the way in terms of pass completion as he dominates from midfield. The Germany international also bore the burden when Real's squad was stretched by injuries early in the season, playing more minutes than anyone else across all competitions.

 

Isco

So often the man to miss out on the big occasion, Isco has made himself undroppable in recent months in the absence of Gareth Bale. Most importantly, the Spain international has added end product to his sublime array of skills. Isco has had his most prolific season since joining from Malaga four years ago with 10 league goals in 30 appearances, most notably bagging a double, including a late winner, at Sporting Gijon last month.

 

Cristiano Ronaldo

Criticized early in the season, Ronaldo again came up with all the answers down the stretch to lead his side over the finish line for his second La Liga title. Having been used far more sparingly since March, the Portuguese has had more in the tank at the end of this campaign than in recent years. He scored five times against Sevilla, Celta Vigo and Malaga in the title-race run-in to end as Madrid's top scorer with 25 league goals.