Wolfsburg manager Dieter Hecking said his team were disappointed after their Champions League loss to Real Madrid, but that they left the Spanish capital with heads held high.
Real overturned a 2-0 deficit from the first leg in Germany, to win the tie 3-2 on aggregate at the Santiago Bernabeu courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo hat trick.
The hosts were on level terms with Wolfsburg after scoring twice in the opening 20 minutes, a stretch that spelled ultimate doom for Hecking's men.
"We didn't go about the first 20 minutes as we should have," Hecking said on the Wolfsburg club website. "We knew what we had to expect, but when you are on the pitch, it's only then you see what you have to deal with.
"After the two goals, we got into the game better, had more possession and had a couple of opportunities of our own. What we lacked was the ultimate determination.
"In the second-half, Real waited for their opening, which was our chance to hit, but we didn't manage that. What's very frustrating is to lose 0-3 having conceded two goals from set-pieces.''
Hecking admitted that Zinedine Zidane's team were worthy winners and also said his team will draw from their Champions League experience and return to European nights soon enough.
"Real Madrid deserved to progress. We weren't able to deliver two good performances," Hecking said. "The first goal was a lost ball. We should have defended better. We needed one goal. I congratulate Real Madrid because they were better.
"The players had great expectations. We are disappointed, but we have to keep our heads up in the Bundesliga. We have grown as a team in the UEFA Champions League and people will remember our matches.
"We have to find what we need to keep on advancing and having more nights like this. We will leave Madrid proud."