Benitez: We paid for our mistakes against Barca

RAFAEL Benitez says his Real Madrid were angry at half-time in their 4-0 defeat to Barcelona after rejecting suggestions a lack of desire was behind the shock result.

Goals from Luis Suarez and Neymar saw Madrid trailing by two goals at half-time, before Andres Iniesta and again Suarez piled even more misery on the home side after the interval.

“Whenever you lose it’s always bad and especially against Barcelona. We’ve paid for our mistakes. We’ve made mistakes and against a team like Barca you pay for those dearly,” Benitez said at a news conference.

“We wanted to attack and win back the ball high up the field but it didn’t come off. We’re all responsible for it not going well, now we look for unity in the group and to try and sort this out in the next game.

Rafael Benitez is stung by Real Madrid’s 4-0 loss to Barcelona

“Now we have to train hard and work hard to improve. I hope the team can recover quickly. When you lose in this way there is a worry as to how the players will react.

“At half-time they were angry and at the end of the game there was little to say. I won’t talk about a lack of desire in my team.”
Madrid trail La Liga leaders Barcelona by six points following the Clasico.

Meanwhile, former Barcelona star Rivaldo believes now is the time for Real Madrid to make Zinedine Zidane their head coach.

Rafael Benitez is under mounting pressure despite only taking charge in June, with a 4-0 Clasico thrashing at home to Liga leaders Barca on Saturday casting further doubt over his future.

Zidane, the head coach of the Madrid Castilla side and former assistant to Carlo Ancelotti at the Santiago Bernabeu, has long been tipped to take the top job at the club and some reports in Spain have claimed he is poised to replace Benitez following the Clasico debacle.

Rivaldo believes Madrid should follow Barca’s example of handing former players Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique the chance in the dugout and replace Benitez with the former France international.

“Congratulations to all the Barcelona players, that was a footballing show at Real Madrid,” he wrote on his official Instagram page.

“Real Madrid already have a new coach in Zidane, I believe it’s time to give him the opportunity, as Barca did with Pep Guardiola and Luis Henrique (sic).”