Cristiano Ronaldo lays into Real Madrid defence at half-time of Champions League last-16 tie at Napoli, telling Pepe: ‘We can’t defend’
Los Blancos were a goal down at the interval after Dries Mertens' opener and looked vulnerable with every attack
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CRISTIANO RONALDO couldn’t hide his unhappiness at Real Madrid’s first half against Napoli — and told Pepe exactly what he thought.
Los Blancos were 1-0 down at the San Paolo and had been thoroughly outplayed, facing more shots than they had all season in the Champions League.
Napoli opened up the Real Madrid backline on numerous occasions and were unlucky not be further ahead.
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And Ronaldo was caught on camera angrily telling Pepe that his team can’t defend as the players prepared to return out for the second 45.
Dries Mertens had made it game it on with the opener on the night after he was played through and coolly slotted past Keylor Navas.
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Napoli had consistently exploited Real Madrid’s defensive weaknesses.
Zinedine Zidane’s men struggled to create anything in the first 45 minutes and were lucky to get in at the break still ahead in the tie.
However, Sergio Ramos headed in two corners — though the second went down as a Mertens own goal — in six minutes to effectively kill the tie.
Before Alvaro Morata made it three in stoppage time.
The holders made it to the quarter-finals for the seventh consecutive season and will fancy their chances of making history.
No team has ever retained the trophy in the Champions League era.
And, with Barcelona likely to go out, they have an excellent opportunity.