Míchel Salgado is never far from the Madrid first team

Salgado faces Roma hurdle
Friday, 3 December 2004
By Andy Hall

A 1-1 draw against Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Matchday 5 has left Real Madrid CF needing a win from their final UEFA Champions League Group B game to progress to the last 16 for the eighth consecutive season. In a difficult season for the team, it was another example of things not going to plan.

Qualifying plan
"Getting a draw wasn't a suitable result for us - that certainly was not our intention going into the game," right-back Míchel Salgado told uefa.com. "Our idea was to win the match and be mathematically certain of a place in the knockout stage and then take things easy in the final group game.

Uncertain finale
"The last thing we wanted is to have everything left to play for in the final match," he added as he looked ahead to his side's trip to AS Roma. "But looking on the bright side, getting through to the next phase still depends entirely on us and a win against Roma will see us through."

Madrid stalwart
An ever-present in the Madrid side since moving to the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in the summer of 1999, the 29-year-old Salgado has been with the club through good times and bad, and has sufficient composure not to become too concerned by results like the one at home against Leverkusen.

'One of those nights'
Salgado said: "A few strange things happened like Roberto Carlos' free-kick that landed right at Raúl [González]'s feet and I don't know how, but the ball just seemed to escape him, then Ronnie's chance that the keeper saved, shots bouncing back off the post - it was one of those nights."

Strange atmosphere
Coming as the game did on the back of a 3-0 defeat at the hands of FC Barcelona, Salgado was not surprised that his side were off colour against Leverkusen. "The atmosphere was a bit strange and the team seemed somehow affected by it all," he said.

Missed penalty
That certainly seemed to be the case as Madrid aimed to gain revenge for their 3-0 defeat at the BayArena on Matchday 1 and it was clear that their luck was not in as Hans-Jörg Butt saved a penalty from Luís Figo with nine minutes remaining. "You don't see Figo miss many penalties," said Salgado.

Roma response
Now Madrid must put that disappointment behind them at the Olimpico stadium in Rome. The home side are playing behind closed doors because of crowd trouble in their opening game against FC Dynamo Kyiv, and Salgado is hoping that will contribute to a subdued Roma performance.

'You never know'
"We will be playing in an empty stadium and that takes a lot of the pressure off," he explained. "Roma are out and have nothing to play for - we'll see how they approach this match and which players they decide to field. Obviously Roma will be more relaxed but you never know how a game is going to turn out."

Group position
With both Dynamo and Leverkusen, who face each other on Matchday 6, ahead of Madrid in their group, nothing but three points will be enough to ensure Madrid progress to the last 16. It is something that Salgado is only too aware of. "Dynamo and Leverkusen are in with a chance and neither of them will be satisfied with a draw if we win," he said. "We know that qualifying is in our hands. We just know that we have to go out with the mentality that we must play our own game."

UEFA 글일텐데..너무 오래된거라 링크는 따로 걸수 없네요;;
04-05 시즌 로마를 대파한 날에 관련된 거 같네요..
오랜만에 훈훈한 사롱 칭찬.
자체해석 또는 해외파 분들 번역 바랍니다..ㅎㅎ