Mourinho won’t accept slip-up in Moscow

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has told his players the rigours of the Russian winter and the artificial pitch will not be accepted as excuses for defeat in the last-16 Champions League tie against CSKA Moscow.

Mourinho’s men will find themselves playing in sub-zero temperatures in tonight’s first leg in the Luzhniki Stadium as they look to continue their perfect record in this season’s competition.

“We’ll have to be stronger than the adverse conditions we’ll face,’’ Mourinho said. “The grass and the temperature will be tough to deal with. These are new conditions for us, but mentality and ambition are stronger than all those factors.”