Valencia goalkeeper Diego Alves has insisted that his penalty save on Cristiano Ronaldo was ‘lucky’ in the wake of Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Real Madrid.
The Brazilian put in a man-of-the-match performance at the Santiago Bernabeu as he made numerous saves to keep Los Blancos at bay, among them guessing the right way to deny the No 7 from the spot on the cusp of half-time.
“I think we deserved to go ahead. [Madrid] had chances, some of them hitting the post, but we were clinical,” he said after the game.
“It’s difficult to play here. When the avalanche comes, you have to withstand the pressure. We had chances to score a third, but it was a fun game to play.
“[On Madrid’s comeback], we weren’t nervous. It’s normal that we switched to two banks of four when we were 2-0 up.
“But they have the quality to create something out of nothing. The result was fair.
“The match was difficult, but I’m happier for the team than myself. We did well at a difficult venue.
“[On saving Ronaldo’s penalty], I stood up and tried to be calm so I could spot his movement, but I was lucky.”
