Sergio Ramos believe Real Madrid showed a lack of intensity in the loss at Villarreal.
Los Blancos slipped to a 1-0 defeat to fall five points off the pace in La Liga and with plenty of ground to make up.
They were largely outplayed in the opening period by their hosts at El Madrigal but showed more energy in the second half despite not having their shooting boots on.
Taking time out to speak to the media afterwards, Ramos said: “We needed to show more intensity and a bit more fighting spirit to stop them getting themselves in front. The team produced a good reaction in the second half and we just lacked that goal that in other games we have managed to get.
“We came out in tentative mood and we were up against Villarreal, who play really good football. What was positive was the reaction in the second half. We lacked tempo and intensity.”
Speaking about the situation in the league, Ramos said he is confident the campaign has plenty of twists and turns yet to come.
“When the result doesn’t go our way, that’s when we have to stick together the most. Football takes a lot of twists and turns. We could have cut the points gap, but we have to move on and learn from what happened today. Everyone has their own portion of the blame. Now we have to keep on going, because there’s a long way to go in the league season.”
