Julen Lopetegui acknowledged Real Madrid were inferior to a rampant Sevilla, who he insisted were deserved 3-0 winners in LaLiga on Wednesday.
Andre Silva scored twice as Sevilla comprehensively defeated Champions League holders Madrid at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan midweek.
Madrid were no match for Sevilla away from home – the Spanish capital club suffering their first LaLiga defeat of Lopetegui's reign.
Reflecting on the result in Seville, head coach Lopetegui told reporters: "Our problem was that Sevilla were clearly better than us, particularly in the opening stages.
"They netted twice and were very clinical early on.