Real Madrid's players insist their 1-1 draw with lowly Ecija was a decent result considering the difficult conditions the match was played in.
A much-weakened Real side were held by their third-division opponents in the first leg of their Copa del Rey round-of-32 encounter at a rain-drenched San Pablo stadium on Wednesday night.
Critics will point to this being another poor result for Real, who suffered an embarrassing 1-0 league defeat to Getafe recently, but the players themselves do not believe that is the case.
Defender Alvaro Mejia said: "Ecija played well and they adapted to the pitch better than we did. But I think it's a good result.
"We will be favourites at home, and we'll give it all we've got to win. Playing was a challenge for both teams.
"They did better at adjusting to the circumstances. They played their game and it worked out for them. The pitch was the deciding factor because we couldn't open up our game."
Winger Jose Antonio Reyes was also full of praise for Ecija, but is confident Real can stamp their authority on their opponents in the return leg at the Bernabeu next month.
"They really put up a fight, but playing football on a pitch like this one is virtually impossible," he said on Real's official website.
"We're one step away from moving on to the next round, but we can't take it for granted. They played a great match. They pressured us well and used the wings to their advantage."
Reyes was one of a handful of full internationals Real coach Fabio Capello selected for the match, with fringe and reserve players making up the rest of the side.
David Beckham, Mahamadou Diarra and goalscorer Antonio Cassano also started, as did Brazil striker Ronaldo, who was happy to get a run out after missing Real's 2-0 win over Barcelona at the weekend through suspension.
"I am pleased with how I did despite the poor conditions and how we played. It's all a part of my preparation and recovery," said Ronaldo, who is still battling his way back to full fitness after undergoing surgery in the summer.
"It's satisfactory when you consider the playing conditions. We still have the second leg left, and that's where the final result will be decided."
Capello felt his side could have won the game at the end, but believes a draw was a fair result.
"It was very difficult to play football. For that reason the result was just," he said.
"We had several clear opportunities at the end of the game which could have decided it."
Robinho was one of the stars of tonight's match. He scored the Whites' only goal and could have scored many more. When Real Madrid were 1-0 up, the referee failed to award him a penalty.
Robinho 
