Monday 24 April 2017 08:22, UK
Zinedine Zidane felt Real Madrid paid the cost for failing to take the scoring chances which came their way following their last-gasp 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in El Clasico.
Lionel Messi scored his 500th Barcelona goal - struck with the last kick of a thrilling match - to give the visitors a memorable 3-2 Bernabeu victory and take them to the top of the La Liga table.
Casemiro gave Real a 28th-minute lead but Barcelona were level within five minutes when Messi burst onto Ivan Rakitic's pass on the edge of the box and finished in style.
In a see-saw contest, Rakitic put Barcelona ahead with a ferocious 73rd-minute drive before Ramos was sent off four minutes later for a two-footed lunge on Messi.
Real appeared to have salvaged a point when substitute James Rodriguez converted from close range five minutes from time, but Messi had the final word with his 16th El Clasico goal in La Liga matches - a record.
"We cannot be happy," Zidane said at his post-match press conference. "We made a lot [of chances] during the whole game.
"We had many goalscoring chances, but couldn't bring the game under control. When you don't kill the game off, this can happen, and it did.
"Messi made the difference for his team, but it is not only Messi," the Frenchman added. "That they've hurt us is logical in any game.
"We are disappointed with the result, when you get back to 2-2 with 10 men you have to think a little more and defend together."
The two sides are level on 75 points, but Barcelona sit top by virtue of having the better head-to-head record from the two games with Real.
Both sides are in action again on Wednesday night - Barcelona at home to Osasuna and Real away to Deportivo La Coruna - and Zidane, whose side have a game in hand with six matches left to play, said their focus must now turn to that game.
"I have to look at the game again but I wouldn't have changed anything," Zidane said.
"There is a lot of the league left and we have to think about the next game."
