The result saw Real Madrid surrender the LaLiga leadership to Barcelona.
Xabi said afterwards: “That’s football. After a good run, we’re now getting results that aren’t what we wanted. But we still know what we want. We have to keep moving forward.
“We're not happy because we know perfectly well that we always want to win, and when we don't, we can't be happy. There are still many games left before the end of the year, and we have to start thinking about the next one by analysing what we've done today.
“The team never gave up. We’re still competing. We know that the context of each game is different. Obviously, the result could be better. We're aware of that and we're self-critical, but the direction is clear, the spirit remains good and we have to respond in the face of adversity. This is Real Madrid and every unfavourable result attracts criticism, which we have to live with. We want to improve. The team never gave up."
On his connection with the players since his appointment, Xabi is adamant it is improving by the day.
He also stated: “The connection is improving because we have more time, we interact more and we're getting to know each other better. We're all in the same boat, everyone together in the same direction.
"We celebrate victories, we suffer, as we did today, and we're not happy when we don't get the desired result. The connection is good, the day-to-day is good. We need to turn this moment around a little bit and we have the opportunity to do so starting in Athens.”
On starting Vinicius Jr on the bench, Xabi explained: “We'd talked about it, as we often do. He understands. He knew the role and the impact he could have. We'd done it before, like in the game against Getafe. He's still connected. Today we're not as happy as we'd like to be, but everyone is energised and wants to get back to a good result and a good dynamic."