Espanyol midfielder calls late loss to Real Madrid 'a bit of a disappointment'

Espanyol midfielder Àlex Calatrava described the team's 1-0 defeat against Real Madrid as "a bit of a disappointment," emphasizing that the squad "fought until the end." The crucial goal for Real Madrid came in the 90th minute, leaving Espanyol frustrated after a hard-fought match at the RCDE Stadium.

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It's a bit of a disappointment, we fought until the end.

Calatrava shared his thoughts with DAZN, noting that Espanyol had executed their game plan and worked diligently throughout the week, fully aware of the challenge posed by Real Madrid. He lamented the late nature of the decisive goal, stating, "We have carried out our game plan and we had been working all week. We knew it was going to be a difficult match. We have to keep going because this is very long."

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We have carried out our game plan and we had been working all week. We knew it was going to be a difficult match. We have to keep going because this is very long.

The midfielder conceded that Espanyol might have lacked concentration on set pieces, which ultimately led to Real Madrid's opening goal. "We knew they were strong on set pieces and we had worked on it, it makes it even more frustrating," he added. Despite his personal satisfaction at scoring a goal, Calatrava felt his contribution was overshadowed by the loss, expressing a desire for more goals in the future.

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We knew they were strong on set pieces and we had worked on it, it makes it even more frustrating.

Regarding his on-field interactions with Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior, Calatrava downplayed any significance, calling them "things that happen in football." He suggested that his intensity and Vinícius's reaction were part of the game's emotions, but insisted there were no lingering issues.

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I'm happy for my part, but it hasn't served much purpose. We hope there will be many more.