However, the Real midfielder insists there's no reason for panic, despite admitting they're struggling for form.
He told Universal Valdano: "The level of football that we are having is not the best or the one that we thought we could have. It hurts to lose against a direct rival and against whom you are playing your pride and honour in one of the most watched games in the whole world. It hurts a lot and it makes you very angry not to get the three points on your pitch.
"But you also have to recognise when one plays an inferior game to the other and I think that Barcelona played a very good game, especially in the second half. The first half was very even, but the goal changed everything. They scored the second and it goes beyond the tactical or the footballing and you go a little more crazy. They play very well, they knew how to handle when they were ahead and that’s it. They did a good job at the Bernabéu.”
Valverde, however, also insisted: “We went through a 0-4 defeat at the Bernabéu a couple of years ago and ended up winning the Champions League and the League. These are matches and the year doesn’t count. In the end, what counts is whether you won titles and not whether you didn’t win certain matches. I’ll stick with that, that there’s still a lot to compete for, a lot to fight for.
"We’re a team that has that rebellious spirit to change the situation and move forward. The history of this club is to never give up, we have to fight until the end. We have to be the first to work our butts off in training and show people that we want to win everything this year. That’s the only way to keep improving and growing.”