Rayo Vallecano coach Inigo Perez defended his players after Monday's defeat at Girona.

Rayo were beaten 3-0, with Pep Chavarria sent off for the visitors.

Inigo later said: "The 3-0 score adds pain to the defeat. A defeat always hurts, but when the players have been able, even with 10, to have the ball, not hide and make great efforts against a team that penalises you a lot as soon as it finds a weakness, the last two goals hurt.

"The backpack is filling up and it is more difficult to get up. We were comfortable in the first half, it was close, they did not create any chances against us, but perhaps it was a test for what was to come to the second. They have gone ahead and penalised us.

"I would like to see my team as high as possible, but it is true that when you put a line of four against Girona, they put five on the last line and when you want to protect yourself, they put six on you and they are capable of supporting that height of the opposing team when you go high.

"You run the risk that they have the level to hurt your defence or between the lines, we have tried and succeeded at times. I am happy about that, but we will have to gradually add those nuances."