Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster could not fault his players after they crashed out of the UEFA Champions League.
Schuster happy with spirit despite exit
Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster could not fault his players after they crashed out of the UEFA Champions League.
Roma ended Real's dreams of reaching the quarter-finals with an impressive 2-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu to progress 4-2 on aggregate.
Real were forced to play the last 19 minutes when Pepe was sent off for a second bookable and Roma took advantage to score goals from Rodrigo Taddei and substitute Mirko Vucinic to send the Italians through.
Schuster praised the spirit of his side as they battled to the end before Vucinic finished them off in the final minute.
"Given the difficulty of the opponents I couldn't have asked for more from the team," said Schuster.
"They had to play with a man down. They showed great character and kept believing they could win this game."
