Zinedine Zidane Takes Responsibility for Real Madrid's Humiliating Valencia Loss

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has accepted responsibility for Los Blancos' poor showing as they were stunned 4-1 by Villarreal on Sunday evening.

After taking the lead through Karim Benzema, Real were swept away by Valencia, who were 4-1 up shortly after the hour mark thanks to a hat-trick of penalties from Carlos Soler and an own goal from Raphael Varane.

Zidane has come under fire for his team selection for the game, with the likes of Marcelo and Isco being surprisingly brought in from the cold for the game, and his decision not to make any changes until after Real went 4-1 down has also attracted some criticism.

“The fault is mine because I am the coach and I have to find a solution," Zidane said (via AS). "But we played well the first 30 minutes, and after the equaliser, the game changed completely. It has happened to us several times and I don't like that.

"After the goal we fell apart and changed the way we were playing. Everything happened to us: three penalties, an own goal. It is difficult to understand this match.

"I don't think Valencia have been tactically better than us. The only thing is that we started well and everything changed after the goal. This is difficult to understand. But yes, the responsibility lies with me. We must find solutions after the goal they scored."

Zidane's sentiments were echoed by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, whose analysis of the game was a little harsher than the boss'.

"Three penalties against, the second goal from bad luck... I don't know, I think we started well, sometimes it happens to us a bit that we don't move up the pitch together and we get caught out a little at the back, but [Valencia] haven't created chances," he said (via Marca)

"The first penalty is a penalty, it's bad luck, I don't know why it was retaken. The second goal is bad luck, at half-time we were motivated to turn it around. As soon as I started I make a save that goes on to the post and then two penalties. Maxi [Gomez] screams more, and the VAR gives penalties.

"[In the build up to] the second goal, there was a foul on Asensio, I heard him in the changing room but in the changing room you can't change anything."

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