Valencia coach Rino Gattuso was happy with his players after their 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad.

Gattuso defended his tactics after the dismissal of Aritz Elustondo for La Real.

He later insisted: "I have lost 4-5 games when the opposition have been down to ten men. You can lose against ten men. Real Sociedad are a great team. I am happy with the changes. It was a difficult match. We crossed many times with few players in the area to score. We could have done better in the construction of our play. It was enough with two centre backs and a pivot. I think we didn't do this well, but I'm happy with the performance. We had the advantage of playing against ten men, but I liked the way the team played.

"We had an advantage because Real Sociedad started very well and scored, and it helped us that they went down to ten men. We could make the transitions with the ball better. Many times we crossed in with few players there. I think that we could have done better.

"We could have play with less worry, trying something a little more elaborate. We always played safely. Today we lacked attacking with more depth, with a first-class ball through, or a dribble in the final meters. I think we've been shooting very little in the last few games.

"It is difficult to play against Real Sociedad. I played against them in the Europa League three years ago. I like their mentality and their coach. They are a team that can play tiki-taka, but they also attack you with depth, with strong players and skill. It is a style that I like. I really like their coach and the mentality of the team. They have followed the same path for 3-4 years and that is good for them."