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Zinedine Zidane said he was “delighted” to achieve a 1-0 win over Galatasaray after recent criticism of his Real Madrid side.

Toni Kroos scored the only goal in his 100th Champions League appearance to lift Los Blancos off the bottom of Group A.

A loss to Paris St-Germain, a draw with Club Brugge, and a LaLiga defeat to Mallorca on Saturday had put pressure on both Zidane’s side and his position, with Jose Mourinho linked to the job.

Speaking after the win in Istanbul, Zidane told the Real Madrid website: “I’m delighted for the whole team because there’s been a lot of criticism, it’s not an easy place to come to and we showed good character.

“It’s important to win when you play every three days and tonight we were focused right from the off.

“We created a lot of chances after some really good moves and I would have liked to have seen us get a second and even a third because that would have meant that the opposition would have eased off in terms of their pressing.

“At 1-0 they still believed they could level things up right until the end, but we were focused from the first minute until the last.

“We worked hard and were strong and that’s what got us the win.”

Zidane’s side were knocked off top spot in LaLiga by Barcelona after Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Mallorca but responded with a crucial win, which could have been by a wider margin had it not been for Galatasaray goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.

Muslera made a string of outstanding saves to keep Galatasaray in the tie, while the Turkish side were not without their chances.

Casemiro headed Rodrygo’s early cross just wide and Galatasaray’s on-loan Brighton forward Florin Andone fired straight at Thibaut Courtois after being sent clear by Younes Belhanda.

Andone forced Courtois into a better save, low in the bottom corner, but after efforts from Rodrygo and Karim Benzema had tested Muslera, Real took an 18th-minute lead.

Eden Hazard cut the ball back inside the area and Kroos scored off a deflected shot, which flew into the top corner and silenced the partisan home fans.

The win lifts Madrid past Brugge and Galatasaray into second place with four points, while Paris-St Germain maintained their 100% record with a 5-0 win in Belgium.

Jamie Carragher has admitted Liverpool made a “massive mistake” by backing Luis Suarez in the 2011 racism row with Patrice Evra and apologised to the former Manchester United left-back.

Suarez was given an eight-match ban by the Football Association after being found guilty of misconduct for using insulting words to Evra, which included a reference to the defender’s colour, at Anfield in October 2011.

Liverpool’s players – including Carragher – responded to the suspension by wearing t-shirts with Suarez’s face on before a Premier League match with Wigan in December 2011 in a show of support for their striker.

Former Reds defender Carragher, who was appearing on Sky Sports alongside Evra on Monday, accepts the club and players made an error of judgment.

“Apologies, we got it massively wrong,” said Carragher. “There’s no doubt we made a massive mistake.

“I’m not lying on that and saying I wasn’t part of it because as the club we got it wrong and I was vice-captain. I’m not sure who was actually behind it.

“What I would say is that maybe I, as an individual, lacked the courage to say I wasn’t wearing it.

“I don’t think everyone at Liverpool thought what we were doing was right.

“Your first reaction – no matter what someone does – is to support them even if they are wrong.”

Speaking about Liverpool’s decision to wear t-shirts supporting Suarez, Evra said: “I saw it. I was watching the game. I was like, this is ridiculous. It is unbelievable.

“I understand you always have to support your player because this is your team. But this was after the ban.

“What message do you send to the world? Supporting someone being banned because he used some racist words.”

Suarez and Evra left Liverpool and Manchester United respectively in the summer of 2014, while Carragher retired from playing in 2013.

Unai Emery believes Arsenal can achieve something important this season, appearing to suggest they can finish in the top four and challenge Liverpool and Manchester City at the top.

The Gunners have only lost once in the Premier League this term and were third ahead of the weekend’s fixtures while they have enjoyed success in the Carabao Cup and Europa League with more games to come in those competitions before October is over.

Arsenal lost out to Chelsea in the final of the Europa League last season and finished fifth, but Emery is positive they can achieve even more after recent chats with head of football Raul Sanllehi and technical director Edu.

“I am speaking every day with Raul, Edu and with the players,” Emery said ahead of their trip to Sheffield United on Monday.

“Our work is more important than our speak (words) and really now I am very happy at the club. I am really happy with the players. The last two, three, four weeks, every player – and Mesut Ozil – is working very well.

“This is why we can be positive and we can think we are going to do something important this year. I was speaking with Raul and this is the same idea when he is speaking with me.”

A feather in Emery’s cap is his use of young, English players with Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Rob Holding, Calum Chambers, Reiss Nelson, Joe Willock, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka all handed opportunities since the Spaniard took over in the summer of 2018.

He believes they are a key part of the process which will see the Gunners return to the upper echelons of the table and challenging for the title again.

“We can play better each match. It’s one process. Little by little we’re using the young players to achieve the performance, giving them confidence and experience in the matches,” Emery added.

“For example, Bukayo Saka is improving, helping us and taking a good performance. I know he needs to break more steps ahead in his improvement. Other players are the same.

“This is the way he can give us the best performance and best way to do our way, playing maybe better sometimes. I think this is one process.

“For us it’s very important to be competitive each match. We are being competitive at the moment. Being competitive we can then achieve a better way for how we can play.

“If we are competitive we can use different players in different moments, some with more skill, some with more capacity to do pressing and transition. We can use them if we, like a team, can feel strong in our mentality and being competitive and consistent each match.”