Southampton assistant manager Jesus Perez has paid tribute to Bristol City after their Capital One Cup clash on Tuesday night.
The Premier League side made 11 changes from the weekend and secured a 2-0 victory over the Robins at St Mary's, thanks to goals from Gaston Ramirez and Jos Hooiveld.
"We were obviously made to work hard in the second half. I thought the game was difficult," Perez told reporters. "We scored in the first half but the opponent played well. They played without pressure. We are very happy about the result because it became a hard training session towards the end of the game.
"We know it is difficult to play as a team when you've made 11 changes, but this type of game, the cup games, we have to fix these kind of problems. We know it is not for the players playing the best football. I think Bristol played well and it was not easy for us to get the ball back and play with possession.
"At the end of the game, when Harrison Reed and Jay Rodriguez came in it helped the team create the level and tempo. It was because the opponent played well, not because we dropped off that they were better in the second half. They got some chances to score so it was difficult."
Saints host Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday.
