MADRID: Expressing disappointment over suffering a defeat against Real Madrid, Inter Milan manager Antonio Conte said the result has left a "bitter taste in the mouth".
Real Madrid registered a 3-2 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League here on Wednesday.
"The result, of course, leaves a bitter taste in the mouth but these matches show that the team is improving. I don't know how many teams would have the character to play this sort of game in Madrid. We went down by two, brought it back and could have made it 3-2. This team is taking strides to grow in all aspects," the club's official website quoted Conte as saying.
Karim Benzema scored the opening goal of the match in the 25th minute before Sergio Ramos doubled the lead for Real Madrid in the 33rd minute. However, Inter Milan's Lautaro Martinez and Ivan Perisic scored one goal each to bring the scores to a level.
Rodrygo's strike in the 80th minute sealed the win for Real Madrid.
Conte also stressed that his side needs to pay more attention to the "small details".
"Unfortunately, the results aren't rewarding us but these sort of performances have to give us more confidence and strength in our desire to return to being a respected team. The group is improving on the European stage but there are no shortcuts, we just need to pay more attention to the small details," he said.
"We go home with a tough result but we're convinced of what we can do. We played an excellent game against a side such as Real Madrid who had been talking of the match as though it was a final for three days," Conte added.