Cristiano Ronaldo out of away games in order to
keep his star man fresh for the fight for titles on all
fronts.
Ronaldo sat out his fourth consecutive LaLiga
away game at relegated Granada, as James
Rodriguez and Alvaro Morata hit first-half braces in
a comfortable 4-0 win that keeps Madrid level with
Barcelona at the summit.
Four-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo has hit
back-to-back Champions League hat-tricks
against Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid since
last travelling away domestically to Athletic Bilbao
in March.
And, with the return leg against Atleti in midweek,
Zidane suggested he has a policy that is paying
dividends.
Asked at a post-match news conference whether
the 32-year-old was being left out of away games
to give him a greater amount of rest, Zidane
replied: "Yes."
James scored his two goals inside 11 minutes
against a beleaguered Granada backline who were
as vulnerable as Zidane expected.
The Colombia playmaker's future at Madrid has
been a topic of debate throughout the season, with
Zidane rarely seeing him as a first-choice starter,
but his attitude won praise.
"James has always been committed, always there,
trying to do the best possible, the same as the
others," said Zidane.
"Granada are in difficulties, and if we begin the
game as we did it is normal that they will have
more problems.
"When you score after two minutes, it makes the
game easier. But not easy for Granada, when
you've nothing to play for it is difficult."
Zidane praised his team's freshness after nine
months of toil at home and abroad but urged them
to be on their mettle despite holding a 3-0
advantage over Atleti before Wednesday's second
leg at the Vicente Calderon.
After that come games against Sevilla, Celta Vigo
and Malaga, with the destiny of the title still in
Madrid's hands.
"Now we will relax, thinking about Wednesday,
which is going to test us a lot more than tonight,
and we are going to have to have a perfect game,"
Zidane added.
"We are thinking about ourselves, thinking of
winning. Three finals remain."
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