Zinedine Zidane thought his Real Madrid side “deserved more” after they dropped points in a surprise 1-1 home draw against Real Valladolid.
The hosts struck first, with Karim Benzema hitting his second goal in as many games, before Sergi Guardiola earned his side a draw with a low strike in the 88th minute.
Speaking at a press conference reported by the club website, the French manager said: “It left a bitter taste in my mouth, we did the hardest part, scoring right at the end of the second half but just three minutes later they pulled one back.
“It is a tough situation, it’s complicated and hard when you know you deserved more, the three points, especially given all the chances in the first half, all we needed was a goal.
“At 1-0 on 84 minutes we needed to be practical and have more conviction when the game tested us.
“That was what happened today and we need to accept that. Yesterday I said this would not be a walkover, any team can come here and cause real problems.
“We need to stay switched on for the full 90 minutes and if we played like we did in the first half we would have real options to win.”
James Rodriguez made his first appearance since his return from Bayern Munich and Zidane said he was pleased with the Colombian’s performance.
He said: “He played well. He came off because he took a knock, and if that happens I prefer not to risk it.”
When asked about the pressure faced by his side, Zidane said: “I notice the pressure, of course. Our fans get behind us.
“I know it’s difficult but it’s like winning a title. We need our fans with the team and we will do everything from our side.”
Boss Sergio insists Valladolid will not rest on their laurels after making a strong start.
He told the club’s official website: “This year we started off well, but this does not make us relax. Keep working and think about the next game.”
On possible improvements, he said: “We have to improve a little with the ball and further enhance what we already do well.”
