Pellegrini rewarded for positive thinking

Manuel Pellegrini, Villarreal coach
It was a very tough match, as you would expect at this stage of the competition. In the first half we were sloppy. We gave them chances, we were nervous, and they got an early goal. Then, the key thing was the substitutions at the start of the second half, which were very positive. Guillermo Franco and Héctor Font gave extra creativity to the team and that was a crucial factor. Now we can do more in this competition and are expecting to make history in the next round too. Remember, we still haven't been beaten in the UEFA Champions League.

Alex McLeish, Rangers manager
It was a brilliant performance. We were disciplined and went about the game in the proper fashion – and were so close to getting through. In the first half, particularly, we were better than Villarreal. They had only one chance in that period. Then they scored early in the second half and that helped them. We were tremendously prepared for this match and it is a huge disappointment that we couldn't get through. The supporters came here in numbers and I would like to thank them for getting behind us – they were very important. But, all in all, the club must be proud of us because our performance in the UEFA Champions League this season has been excellent.

Juan Román Riquelme, Villarreal midfielder
The nerves really got to us at the start of the match, but following the introduction of Guillermo Franco, we played much better in the second half than we did in the first. We are delighted that we can carry on with our adventure in this competition.

Nacho Novo, Rangers forward
I am disappointed, but we had the right attitude and have done ourselves proud in the competition this season. There were more Scottish fans here tonight than Spanish ones, but we just fell short.