"We didn't lose 5-2 because of defensive tactics"

Borussia Dortmund">Borussia Dortmund coach Nuri Sahin said his side's 5-2 defeat to Real Madrid after a first half in which they were 0-2 ahead was "tough" because they could "have done better". "We played very well with the ball and, in the second half, we had moments when we could have done some damage and had possession, with opportunities to score the third goal. After that, we defended badly and you have to take into account Real Madrid's individual quality.
"It hurts a lot because we could have done better, but we have to take the positives that if we were able to play like that against Real Madrid, we can do it against other teams," he told the press conference. "It's difficult to explain. A first half in which we played very well and in which we found a lot of solutions with the ball. We knew that the second half was going to be very long, especially at the Bernabeu. To concede two goals in two minutes didn't help us and the last two goals were very hard", he added.
The Borussia Dortmund coach acknowledged his "mistake" in switching to a five-man backline at the start of the second half. "I accept the mistake, but I'm not going to give explanations. We lost 5-2, but it's not because of the defensive tactics. We wanted to defend Vinicius and Rodrygo better," he said.
He also avoided talking about whether or not Vinicius Junior, who scored a hat-trick against his team, deserves the Ballon d'Or, which is awarded on Monday 28th October in Paris. "This is not the right time for me to talk about the opposition's players. Vinicius is one of the best players in the world, but it's not my job to decide or vote for the Ballon d'Or. I have to focus on my team and my players," he replied.