Atletico Madrid defender Diego Godin has praised Valencia following Sunday's 1-1 draw between the two sides in Madrid.

The La Liga clash was a fairly ill-tempered affair, but Godin has insisted that the physicality was "normal" for a match between two competitive teams.

"It was a hard-fought game and that's to be expected because both teams are going for the Champions League spots," Godin told reporters.

"We took a point and they all add up, although the aim was to win, but Valencia were difficult opposition. In football there are no merits because you either win, draw or lose.

"It was tough and the things that happened in the game were normal, nothing more. We'll fight until the end of the season and then we'll see if this point was a good one."

Atletico remain third in the table, one point ahead of fourth-placed Valencia with 12 games remaining.