Real Madrid's Kroos concedes league after Villarreal loss

Real Madrid star Toni Kroos admitted defeat in the club's pursuit of a second La Liga title on the bounce.

Saturday's shock 1-0 loss to Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu means Los Blancos are still hampered by a 16-point deficit on idle table topper Barcelona. In conversation with beIN Sport following the defeat in the Spanish capital, Kroos concedes Real needs to shift its focus to a top-four finish and Champions League berth.

"We have to first, in our position at the moment, we have to look to qualify for the Champions League," Kroos said. "This must be our goal for the rest of the season because 16 points is far away.

"We have to think about the next game to win, to get the points to come nearer to second or third place," Kroos added.

A top-four league finish would see Real qualify for a record 22nd consecutive European competition, but Zinedine Zidane's charges aren't making it easy for themselves. The result against the Yellow Submarine is the first time Real has lost back-to-back home league matches since 2007, leaving Los Blancos fourth in Spain's top flight, eight adrift of third-placed Valencia, and just one ahead of Villarreal.