Real Sociedad ousted Real Madrid by two goals late on Tuesday night and handed them their second defeat in three La Liga games in the process.
The Merengues were responsible for their own misery, gifting the hosts not only the opener but also a numerical advantage.
Takefusa Kubo and Ander Barrenetxea were the goalscorers on the night and rounded off a comprehensive display from the hosts. The men in white, meanwhile, fell 14 points behind league leaders Barcelona in the process.
The captain on the night, Nacho Fernandez, faced the media after the 2-0 defeat and gave a player’s perspective into the team’s form and results in recent weeks. He began his interview with an overview of what cost Real Madrid the game against Real Sociedad, saying:
"These are defensive errors. We’ve been making them for a few games, especially in the league. On a pitch like this, which is very demanding, and with a man down, it’s very hard."
La Liga has been far from the paradise Real Madrid would have dreamt of this season. Nacho commented on the Merengues’ poor run in the league but insisted that their poor form on the road cost them dearly.
"We always aim to win. In the last few league games, especially away from home, we haven’t been at the level we should be for a competition like this. That’s what happened today," he said.
"If you don’t apply all your intensity, any team will beat you. And I’m not saying that Real Sociedad are any team, but it’s a very difficult league where we haven’t been up to the challenge, I think."
The veteran defender then spoke about whether the team’s confidence was affected by recent defeats and also pointed out how the most important games of the season were yet to come.
"We’re playing the most important part of the season next week. If you asked us at the start of the campaign, we all would have signed up to be where we are at this stage. Of course, we would have liked things to be different in the league but now we have to keep our heads up and continue fighting."
The inevitable question surrounding Dani Carvajal was the final matter Nacho addressed in his interview. The defender refused to take sides but called it one of the factors that changed the game, saying:
"It wasn’t a hard tackle. I don’t know whether he gets a touch on it or not but it decided the game. We were already losing and to have a man sent off here is very tough."