Ramos ´hurt´ by Clasico defeat

Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos admits he is ‘hurt’ after Barcelona claimed a 3-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu in Saturday’s Clasico.

Jose Mourinho’s men made an excellent start to the match, with Karim Benzema giving the home side the lead just 21 seconds into the match.

But Barca rallied as the game progressed, and goals from Alexis Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas, plus an own-goal from Marcelo, sealed victory for the Catalan side.

Ramos said losing to his side’s greatest rivals is painful, but congratulated Barca on their win.

“A Clasico is always special and it always hurts more than any other game and even more so losing at home with all the enthusiasm that went into the game,” Ramos said.

“In the first half, we had a chance to make it 2-0, but we didn’t have the luck that we had in other games. They took their chances and won. They played a great game and should be congratulated.”

Despite the setback, Ramos urged his team-mates to put the defeat behind them quickly and shift their focus onto the next La Liga game against Sevilla.

“The league is not over and we still have a long way to go. Life goes on,” he said.

“We have a game in hand and if we win, we’ll be ahead (in the table). The championship continues. The next game is against Sevilla, a team and a crowd that always makes it very difficult for us.”

Before the clash against the Andalusians next weekend, Madrid take on Ponferradina on Tuesday in the Copa del Rey.