Real Madrid defender Nacho hits out at schedule after Copa elimination at Athletic Bilbao

Posted Friday, February 04, 2022 by Tribalfootball.com

Real Madrid defender Nacho says they must not dwell on their Copa del Rey quarterfinal defeat at Athletic Bilbao.

Alex Berenguer was the hero as he turned Nacho inside out on the edge of the box before curling a shot into the far corner beyond Thibaut Courtois on 88 minutes.

The late strike sent a raucous San Mames wild and was enough to see out the win for Athletic Club, who earned revenge for the Supercopa de Espana defeat against Los Blancos only a few weeks ago.

Nacho said: “It wasn't one of our best games but we did well defensively. We struggled to get into the game.

“We just weren't at it up top. That's football. We've lost at a very difficult place to come. We have to keep our heads up and press on because there's still a long way to go. We're frustrated, we were excited but that's a trophy that's got away from us now and every one is important.

"The way that the matches are organised isn't the best. We had three starters who played two days ago, who had a very long journey and didn't get any rest. We're not going to look for excuses. We have to carry on, focus on the future and fight for what's left."