Back to the International Newsfeed

Diego Simeone: Real Madrid handled Ronaldo exit 'very well'

Diego Simeone believes Real Madrid have handled the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo "very well" despite slipping to a 3-0 defeat against Sevilla ahead of their clash with his Atletico Madrid side.

The European champions suffered their first LaLiga defeat of the season at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Wednesday, conceding three first-half goals without reply to bring a run of four wins from five league matches to an end.

The result means Simeone's side, who beat Huesca 3-0 on Tuesday, go into the Madrid derby on Saturday evening just two points behind their rivals, and the Atleti coach expects a difficult game against Julen Lopetegui's new-look team.