Real Madrid not slowing down

6 May 2012 14:01

Real Madrid assistant Aitor Karanka said his side were fortunate Granada did not kill off the game after triumphing 2-1 on Saturday.

Jose Mourinho's men already tied up the league title in midweek and had nothing to play for in Andalucia, while the hosts, although not mathematically safe, look likely to avoid an immediate relegation back to the Segunda Liga.

However, the newly-crowned Spanish champions had their work cut out against a resilient Granada outfit and had to rely on an injury-time David Cortes own goal to secure the three points, but Karanka insisted his players still had everything to play for.

"We showed today that we have respect for all our rivals in this competition," Karanka said.

"A fairer result would have been a draw but these things happen in football. I wish Granada the best, but they paid the price for not killing the game earlier.

"We still have objectives for the season, like helping Cristiano Ronaldo (top the goalscoring charts) and earning 100 points, but we always respect the opponents."

Real Madrid finish off their title winning season at home against Mallorca next Sunday.