Benitez: Real Madrid paid for mistakes

Rafael Benitez feels Barcelona made Real Madrid pay for their mistakes in Saturday’s 4-0 Clasico defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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.

“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.