Zidane appeared thrilled with his side's crucial win at San Mamés as he underlined the players' effort as they clinched all three points against Athletic: “We won at a very difficult ground, we had to dig in but we played with real character. It was extremely important to win today and keep on track. There are 11 games left in the league and every single one will be crucial, against some very tough opposition”.



“We're top of the table but that doesn't mean anything. We managed the game very well. The great thing is, we knew how difficult it would be to win here, but we've done so and we move on. Athletic are a side who fight until the end and they caused us problems. They're very strong from set-pieces. Williams is a young player with real energy, he's got quality and he can cause problems, but ultimately we managed to stop him”.



International break

“Few players will get a rest. Some will even be playing significant games, but there's nothing we can do about it. The players go away with their national teams and we can't change that. I can rest up a bit, but they won't have chance to do so. When they come back we've got nine games in 25 days and that's when we'll have it all to play for. I'm sure we're going to need every player. I won't be speaking to any national coaches telling them to leave players out”.