Valencia boss Nuno refuses to criticise team

Valencia boss Nuno has said that he was pleased with the "attitude" of his team during Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Atletico Madrid.

A defensive mistake led to the hosts taking the lead in the La Liga clash, before Yannick Ferreira Carrasco added to Jackson Martinez's effort towards the end of the first period.

Paco Alcacer's 73rd-minute penalty made it an uncomfortable end for Atletico, but Diego Simeone's side held on to secure all the points.

Nuno has revealed that he 'liked his team's attitude' in Madrid and has taken the positives from their third league defeat of the season.

"I liked the team's attitude and have no reason to criticise them. We must rectify the mistakes we made and work harder to achieve our objectives," Nuno told reporters.

"The injury to Rodrigo, which disrupted our plans, and Atleti's first goal, in which we paid for an individual mistake, were two decisive moments in the game. The defeat doesn't disrupt our ultimate goal, which is to be among the top teams.

"We're not pleased, feeling hurt and not satisfied with what we've done, but I'm happy with our attitude. We must work harder to improve our quality and continue on this path. For the next game, we'll have all our [available] players to choose from."

The result has left Valencia ninth in the La Liga table, six points behind fourth-place Celta Vigo.