Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid, Phil Neville
Football Soccer - Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid - UEFA Champions League Semi Final First Leg - Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - 2/5/17 Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal Reuters / Albert Gea

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane admitted that his team suffered a setback Saturday during Barcelona's 3-0 El Clasico victory at the Bernabeu. However, Zidane believes the team will return "stronger than ever" and prove why they are back-to-back UEFA Champions League winners.

Madrid came out and played solid soccer for most of the first half. However, Barcelona opened the floodgates after Luis Suarez' strike in the 54th minute of the contest. After Suarez, Lionel Messi scored another goal as Barcelona took a decisive 2-0 lead. Thereafter, substitute Aleix Vidal netted a goal in added time to lead Barcelona's rout of Madrid.

"We started very well, made chances, but didn't take them. The second half we started well, but made a defensive mistake and they scored. Then the game got difficult. And then they score the second, there is the sending off, and the game changes completely. Ten players at 2-0 is very difficult physically and mentally. In the end it is a defeat which hurts us, for sure, we feel very down, but we must take it today," Zidane rued after the game.

With the defeat, Real Madrid's chances of retaining the La Liga championship are all but over. Though Zidane's team has a game in hand, it is now 14 points behind leaders Barcelona.

"We feel bad but we will not drop our hands for sure. We must rest well and return stronger than ever. Madrid never gives up, whatever happens. This is a difficult moment, a defeat, three goals. I can say we did not deserve it, but this is football, and it is what happened today," Zidane added.

According to Zidane, the team enjoyed a highly successful 2017 despite the late setbacks. In the year, Madrid captured five different trophies including their third UEFA Champions League in four years.

"I am never going to change, whatever happens. Today we feel bad, as this is a defeat which hurts, but we will keep moving forward, this is very long. People might think the league is over, but I do not, and neither does the other coach (Barca's Ernesto Valverde). We will keep doing our work, it has not been a bad year."