Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone rued a below-par start to the game after his team were beaten 3-1 at Barcelona on Sunday night.
The usually tight Atletico defence were pulled asunder during the first half, and Barca were deservedly 2-0 up at the break through goals by Neymar and Luis Suarez.
Mario Mandzukic pulled one back for Atletico from the penalty spot, and the visitors had some spells of pressure, before Lionel Messi secured the win with a short-range strike late in the game.
The Colchoneros coach told his post-game news conference at the Camp Nou that it had really been a game of two-halves, and he could not complain after being outplayed during the opening period.
"There were two games in one," Simeone said. "In the first Barca were better, very dynamic and intense. In the first half we were bad. In the second half we were very competitive, found a goal, and then had the game closer to where we wanted. We felt better in this game, closer to the equaliser. But then a goal after some ping-pong finished the game."
The game featured some refereeing controversy, with Barca unhappy with the visitors' aggressive approach, and Atletico claiming a handball from Messi on his way to setting up Suarez's goal. Simeone said he had no complaints.
"I just asked [Messi] about the handball in the second goal," he said. "It was just something normal. In the end it was a great goal. The referee had a good game."
The Argentine coach admitted that, in some parts of the game, Barca had brought more intensity than his own players.
"Barcelona deserve great praise for that," Simeone said. "They played with a very high rhythm, did not let us out on the counter, were very intense in winning the ball back. That was the difference, they started better, much more dynamic, with great individuals in Neymar, Suarez and Messi.
"There were few goal chances, I do not remember, for either team. If we were more determined in the first and third goals, maybe it would be different, but Neymar and Messi did very well [to finish]. In the second half we competed, but the third goal killed the game."
Atletico now move on to Thursday's Copa del Rey last 16 second leg at Real Madrid, where his side will be defending a 2-0 advantage from the first game. Asked whether tonight's result would have any impact on that upcoming game, Simeone said he had not yet had time to consider it.
"I am not yet thinking about Madrid, that's the truth," he said.
Defeat for Atletico leaves Simeone's men four points behind Real Madrid and three behind Barça in the league table. Despite that, defender Juanfran refused to speculate on whether they are still candidates to retain the title, trying to shift the focus back to their 2-0 Copa del Rey win over Los Blancos.
He said: "Candidates for La Liga? I'll say Atletico is still a candidate to progress into the next round of the Copa del Rey, with the game we have at the Bernabeu next week."
