Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos joked that he would have got himself sent off earlier if he had known his team would go on to beat La Liga leaders Barcelona.
Madrid came from behind to stun Barca 2-1 in Saturday's Clasico, despite playing the final seven minutes with 10 men following Ramos' red card.
Ramos received his second yellow card when he dived in on Luis Suarez, but third-placed Madrid were not to be denied as Cristiano Ronaldo scored the match winner just two minutes later after Karim Benzema had cancelled out Gerard Pique's 56th-minute opener.
Speaking afterwards, Ramos told reporters: "We did plenty of damage on the break, with one player less.
"If I had realised what would happen with one player less, that we'd have won with the sending off, I'd have got myself sent off in the fifth minute."
The win came after Barca crushed Madrid 4-0 in the reverse fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu last November, as Ramos and Co. moved to within seven points of the Catalan club in the league standings.
Ramos added: "The good thing about football is it gives you a chance for revenge.
"You must always keep your feet on the ground. Our fans deserved this after so much suffering. It was important to arrive here at our best level.
"This is a way to recover our confidence, a prize. We are working very hard to do something important this season. We are on the right line."
