Real Madrid defender Pepe has admitted a draw with Villarreal was frustrated but congratulated the Yellow Submarine for the efforts in the 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Los Blancos took the lead through Cristiano Ronaldo but Gerard Moreno equalised midway through the second half to grab a point for the visitors.
The draw means Real are just two points clear of fierce rivals Barcelona in La Liga with the Clasico at the Nou Camp coming up in three weeks time.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Pepe said the visitors made life tough for the 10-time Champions League winners and came to the Spanish capital with a clear game plan.
“We wanted to win even though we knew they are a good team and very hard working. They were very active and hindered our play. We fought hard but we were up against a good, well-organised side. We are still first in the league but we have to keep going right until the end,” the Portugal international said.
He added: “We tried moving the ball around and we produced a lot of good crosses, but Villarreal played with two defensive blocks of four, which made it almost impossible for us to pass the ball through the middle. We came out of the dressing room with a bit more intensity in the second half. We scored but then shortly afterwards conceded the equaliser.”
Irresponsible statement from a player. Do you expect a team to make it easy for you to win because you’re called Real Madrid ?