Zinedinetook to the Mendizorroza media room in the wake of Real Madrid'sAlavés in the sides' LaLiga Matchday 15 encounter and the Whites' boss had the following to say: "I'm really pleased for the players because they kept believing right until the end and it was important for us to win a game like today's, on a tough pitch and against a side that have been performing very well. We had to dig in and we showed that we were capable of doing so and coming away with a good result"."It's three vital points, particularly when you look at how the game went: we got the first goal, they drew level and we knew we'd have to dig in, but we kept our heads and knew that we could get a second, and we did just that. They're tough away games because the fans get behind the players and even more so today when you factor the weather in. We know that it's a long season, but we'll be battling for thetitle right until the end"."Today's is a landmark game in the sense that we continue to improve. It was different to all of the others we've played away from home, although it was similar to the Éibar game, but against a side that have been on good form at home. We want to continue to put points on the board".

"It's not like we've changed. We're all doing much better. You have to be patient. At places like this it's very difficult to play football and we did so with good character. A month ago people were saying everything about us and now we must continue working hard because this has just begun and there is a lot of football left to play in LaLiga".



Rotations

"They're all performing better. Militão hasn't played much and he did very well today. The changes haven't changed the dynamics of the team and that's very important for me. I have 25 players and I will always count on them. There are a lot of games to play, we're going to have 60 or 70 games, especially with the national team commitments. Today those who have played have responded very well. The important thing is that they're all focused and that's what they're showing me every week".



Isco

"We've never lost Isco. He's an important player, he's always shown that, and he has personality. He stands up to be counted in difficult moments and today he’s done remarkably well again. The season is long, but we're happy because in the end winning these games gives you a lot of confidence and it’s what we want: to continue growing as a team".



James

"He's currently injured and we have to be patient with him. He needs to take his time too, but he wanted to go with his national team because he was feeling good. It's a shame. He always wants to play and be ready, but I'll count on him when he comes back. You have to stay calm and not rush things. The important thing is that he's in good health because we know what sort of player he is when he's in good shape".