Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has conceded his side were second best despite triumphing over Manchester United in their UEFA Champions League second leg 2-1 at Old Trafford on Tuesday.
The Spanish champions progressed to the quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate win, although United were left to bemoan a harsh red card call on Nani which turned the game.
United had gone ahead via a Sergio Ramos own goal three minutes into the second 45, but after Nani’s sending off, Real took advantage with goals from Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo settling the tie.
“Of course we are happy to have qualified, but I expected more from my team. We didn’t play well,” Mourinho admitted.
“We took advantage of the 10 to 15 minutes after their sending-off. The first half ended scoreless and it was a very tactical game until that point with both sides giving their all. When Luka Modrić came on I felt he changed the dynamic of the game in midfield.”
Mourinho continued: “Having said that, we suffered until the end; United were physically very strong. We suffered too much while they had 10 men and the fact that our goalkeeper Diego López was our best player in that time says it all.
“When your keeper is your best player with a numerical advantage it shows you are not controlling the game as you should. Our midfield was filled with players during the later stages, yet we didn’t control the match.”