Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho claimed that his players "gave their all" after Saturday's 3-2 win at Real Betis.
A brace from Cristiano and a Gonzalo Higuain strike earned Mourinho a narrow victory in his 100th game in charge of the La Liga leaders.
"I'm more than happy with the three popints, but Betis deserved more. We gave our all tonight," he told reporters.
"There was no control and we never knew who would win. It's sometimes better to be more defensive and control the game more, but no one did tonight and the match had many fast transitions in attack with wide open spaces. A draw would have been a fairer result.
"Betis are a great example of a side that doesn't play to win titles, but rather to put on a show and thrill their fans with games like these. It is a fantastic coaching philosophy and players respond well to it."
Barcelona can cut Madrid's lead back to 10 points later today (Sunday) when they travel to Racing Santander.
