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Attendance: 89,264
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La Liga
Dec 23, 2017 at 12pm UK
 
Barcelona logo

0-3


Carvajal (63')
FT(HT: 0-0)
Suarez (54'), Messi (64' pen.), Vidal (90')

Zinedine Zidane 'accepts criticism' for team selection

Zidane 'accepts criticism' for selection
© Offside
Zinedine Zidane insists that he has no regrets over leaving Isco on the bench for the El Clasico clash with Barcelona, despite Real Madrid falling to a heavy 3-0 defeat.

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has insisted that he will happily accept the flak for his decision to leave out attacking midfielder Isco for the 3-0 defeat to Barcelona.

The Spain international was the surprise omission from Los Blancos' starting lineup to face their El Clasico rivals and did not even feature from the bench.

Zidane instead used the more defensive Mateo Kovacic from the off in an attempt to limit Lionel Messi's influence, which worked in the first half but had less effect in the second as Barca netted three times to run away with it.

Speaking to beIN Sports after the match, the under-fire Frenchman said: "I have to make decisions. The idea was to keep an eye on Messi, and Mateo did well. We made a decision and that's it.

"I'm making decisions as a coach. The decision was Kovacic on the pitch and Isco on the bench at the start. Then, because of how the match went, I was not able to use Isco.

"I had to use Nacho because of the red card [for Dani Carvajal] and had two changes left with one player less. That changes the game. I'm the coach and it's always going to be like that while I'm here.

"I will not regret anything. If you score in the first half the match is different. I know I will take the criticism, but that's football, and it will not change how I think. I make these decisions and I accept what happens."

Meanwhile, Isco has hit out at media suggestions that he refused to warm-up during the second half of his side's costly home defeat.

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Isco in action during the La Liga game between Barcelona and Real Madrid on December 3, 2016
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2Barcelona29197360342664
3GironaGirona29195559342562
4Athletic Bilbao29168550262456
5Atletico MadridAtletico29174854342055
6Real Sociedad291210742311146
7Real BetisBetis29101273433142
8Valencia28117103232040
9Villarreal29108114751-438
10Getafe2991193742-538
11Las PalmasLas Palmas29107122932-337
12Osasuna29106133343-1036
13AlavesAlaves2988132635-932
14Mallorca29612112535-1030
15Rayo Vallecano29611122538-1329
16Sevilla29610133644-828
17Celta Vigo2969143244-1227
18CadizCadiz29313132040-2022
19Granada2828183058-2814
20Almeria29110182857-2913


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