Crestfallen Raúl feels Madrid pain

Raúl González accepted there were "no excuses" after Real Madrid CF's 4-0 defeat against Liverpool FC at Anfield on Tuesday ensured the nine-times European Champion Clubs' Cup winners missed out on a quarter-final place for the fifth year in succession.

'Better team'
"Liverpool were the better team," Raúl said. "Again the Champions League is over for us for another season. We have to say thanks to our fans. We all came here filled with hope, but Liverpool were the better team. There are no excuses, we just have to congratulate them. In the first 20 minutes they started with so much force and got themselves in front."

Liverpool dominate
With Liverpool already leading 1-0 from the first leg, former Club Atlético de Madrid striker Fernando Torres started the rout when he turned in Dirk Kuyt's pass on 16 minutes and they would have been further ahead during a terrific opening spell had it not been for the heroics of Iker Casillas in the Madrid goal. Steven Gerrard added the second from the penalty spot just before the half-hour mark before striking again two minutes after the interval. Andrea Dossena completed the scoring, and Liverpool's 5-0 aggregate win, with two minutes to play.

'Really hurts'
It was the Spanish champions' heaviest defeat in the UEFA Champions League and was all the more surprising coming on the back of a run of eleven matches unbeaten in the Liga. "Losing 4-0 in this competition really hurts but we must lift ourselves," the Madrid captain said. "These things come in cycles and we have to accept them. Madrid went many years without winning the European Cup and then came another cycle in which we were always in the semi-finals. The coming days won't be easy for us but we need to remain calm. We've still got the Liga. It's important we regain our pride and try to go for the [domestic] championship because we're only six points behind [leaders FC Barcelona]."