Zinedine Zidane has criticised the intensity of his team’s performance with the Real Madrid boss coming under increasing pressure, following their 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

A first-half double from former Madrid midfielder Angel Di Maria and a second-half injury-time volley from Thomas Meunier condemned the 13-time European champions to defeat at the Parc des Princes. Gareth Bale also had a goal ruled out by VAR, with the loss putting further pressure on Zinedine Zidane, whose win ratio has been below 50 per cent since his return to the Bernabeu in March 2019. “Clearly they were better than us in every department – in the way they played, in midfield,” the Real boss said. “What upset me is that we did not put enough intensity in the game and at that level of competition, it’s not possible.

“They’re good at creating chances, that’s not what worries me. What worries me is that lack of intensity. “Failing to create proper chances with the players we have up front – Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Eden Hazard — is a weird feeling.” “You can play badly but if you have the intensity, if you fight for the ball, you’re in the game.”

Real, who won four Champions League’s in five seasons from 2013-2018, now sit bottom of Group A after their first defeat of the campaign. Zidane’s side come up against the current La Liga frontrunners Sevilla on Sunday, before their next European clash against Club Brugge on October 1.

Real Madrid’s defeat in stats

• Real Madrid have lost consecutive Champions League games for the first time since April 2013 under Jose Mourinho.
• Real Madrid failed to have a single shot on target against PSG tonight, the first time this has happened in the UEFA Champions League since Opta began collecting such data in the competition in 2003-04 (in 167 games).
• Real Madrid suffered their joint-heaviest defeat on the opening matchday of a group stage campaign in Champions League history (also 0-3 vs Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 2004 and 0-3 vs Lyon in 2005).

“It was not supposed to be like this. “Zinedine Zidane’s return to Real Madrid in March, just nine months after his departure, was supposed to signal the end of an alarming slide. “The man who masterminded an unprecedented run of three consecutive Champions League triumphs was back. The hope, the expectation, was that the real Real Madrid would follow him. “Last season finished on a sour note, with Madrid winning only one of their final five games. But there was an understanding that the squad needed work and another round of lavish investment followed. Paul Pogba did not arrive. Nor did Kylian Mbappe or Neymar. But the money spent still topped £250m, with Eden Hazard – long coveted by Zidane – the headline addition. “On Wednesday night in Paris, though, a season that had started awkwardly descended into full-blown crisis…”

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