Sevilla struck twice to end Madrid's 40-match unbeaten streak.
Zinedine Zidane conceded that Real Madrid had “relaxed” after its 40-match unbeaten run in all competitions ended in a 2-1 defeat to Sevilla at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium Sunday evening.
A Cristiano Ronaldo penalty gave league leaders Madrid, unbeaten since April 2016, the lead. But Sergio Ramos scored an own goal before former Manchester City striker Stevan Jovetic struck an injury-time winner for Sevilla.
The victory moves the club above Barcelona and into second in La Liga.
"We relaxed for five minutes and that was enough to let the win escape," Zidane told beIN Sports. "It's hard considering how the game went but that's football.
"We managed for 85 minutes. We added another dynamic but lost focus for only five minutes.
"You have to accept the result. We know something could happen but we'll use this as motivation for the next game. We knew it was logical that one day the unbeaten run would come to an end.
"I always said that the season until the end is tough. We were unfortunate with the own goal. But this can happen in football. I am very proud of my players.”
Madrid next faces Celta Vigo in the Copa del Rey quarter-final on Wednesday.