Mourinho: APOEL made it difficult for us

Posted Wednesday, March 28, 2012 by ESPN

Despite winning by three goals, Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho insists his side did not have it easy against APOEL Nicosia.

Speaking to the club's official website, Mourinho believed APOEL had put in a strong performance and his team took the victory because they rose to the occasion.

"APOEL made things very difficult for us and we won because we played well. They were strong in defence and showcased great team spirit." he stated.

The Portuguese hailed his opposite number for guiding the Cypriot team this far in Europe's premier club competition. However, Mourinho also made it clear that he was confident APOEL's chances of qualification are slim after the Los Blancos' victory in the first leg.

"I'm sure I wouldn't do much better than Jovanovic on this team. I think APOEL are doing a fantastic job. We knew the match would be complicated for them and bringing Kaka and Marcelo on was decisive." he revealed.

"It will be difficult for them to win 4-1 at the Bernabeu."

The win also marked a rare start for Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin. Many have criticised the German's decision to move to the Spanish club, as he has failed to make a significant impact. Mourinho insists Sahin is not out of favour at the Santiago Bernabeu.

"I'm very happy with Sahin's performance and so are his teammates because we all like him very much and he's had a rough time. He had the chance to play tonight and did very well." he said.

Real Madrid will now return to La Liga action with a visit to Osasuna this Saturday.