Rio Ferdinand and Steve McManaman both believe that England’s best clubs are a long way off the leading teams in Europe after watching Real Madrid defeat rivals Atletico Madrid in a Champions League semi-final that highlighted the gulf that the Premier League have allowed to develop.

Real Madrid held off a spirited Atletico fightback on Wednesday to progress to next month’s final courtesy of a 4-2 aggregate victory, giving Zinedine Zidane’s side the chance to win a third European Cup in the space of four years if they can conquer Italian league champions Juventus.

The match did not go without it’s worries for the reigning champions though, with Atletico needing just 16 minutes to make it 2-0 and move to within one goal of taking the tie to extra-time thanks to goals from Saul Niguez and Antoine Griezmann, only for Isco to strike a crucial blow for Real and secure the away goal that killed off the encounter.

Regardless of the loss, Atletico manager Diego Simeone was justifiably proud of his side given their defiant performance, and former Champions League winner Ferdinand admitted that their display – along wioth Real’s emphatic first-leg victory – showed just how far ahead of the Premier League’s best that Spain’s elite were.

“All our English teams are way off this standard,” BT Sport pundit Ferdinand said. “Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Juventus. There's a lot of money that's come into the English game, but all the English teams seem to be in a transition. New managers, new teams.

“Chelsea are the nearest, they have a real settled team and their first XI is a real, genuine first XI. I think Jose Mourinho is still searching for his first XI, he's still not sure of a few players. This summer will be huge for them.”

Former Liverpool and Real midfielder McManaman, who won two Champions League trophies with the Spanish side, took issue with Ferdinand’s use of the work “transition”, and questioned why this is repeatedly used as an excuse for English sides failing in Europe.

Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Jan Oblak – 6 out of 10 Real Madrid's midfielder Isco (L) scores past Atletico Madrid's Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak (C) during the UEFA Champions League semi final second leg football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid CF at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, on May 10, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU (Photo credit should read PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Jose Maria Gimenez – 6 MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 25: Jose Maria Gimenez of Club Atletico de Madrid in action during the La Liga match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Villarreal CF at estadio Vincente Calderon on April 25, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Diego Godin – 6 Real Madrid's Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas (L) vies with Atletico Madrid's Uruguayan defender Diego Godin during the UEFA Champions League semi final second leg football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid CF at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, on May 10, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / JAVIER SORIANO (Photo credit should read JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Stefan Savic – 6 Real Madrid's midfielder Isco (L) vies with Atletico Madrid's Montenegrin defender Stefan Savic during the UEFA Champions League semifinal second leg football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid CF at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, on May 10, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / CESAR MANSO (Photo credit should read CESAR MANSO/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Filipe Luis – 6 Atletico Madrid's Brazilian defender Filipe Luis (L) vies with Real Madrid's Brazilian defender Danilo during the UEFA Champions League semi final second leg football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid CF at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, on May 10, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / JAVIER SORIANO (Photo credit should read JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Gabi – 7 Atletico Madrid's midfielder Gabi (L) talks to Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir during the UEFA Champions League semifinal second leg football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid CF at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, on May 10, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / CESAR MANSO (Photo credit should read CESAR MANSO/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Saul Niguez – 7 MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 10: Saul Niguez of Atletico Madrid scores his team's opening goal during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid CF at Vicente Calderon Stadium on May 10, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Koke – 6 Atletico Madrid's midfielder Koke (L) vies with Real Madrid's Brazilian midfielder Casemiro during the UEFA Champions League semi final second leg football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid CF at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, on May 10, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / JAVIER SORIANO (Photo credit should read JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Yannick Carrasco – 8 Atletico Madrid's Belgian midfielder Yannick Ferreira Carrasco (L) runs past Real Madrid's Brazilian defender Marcelo during the UEFA Champions League semi final second leg football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid CF at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, on May 10, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU (Photo credit should read PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Fernando Torres – 6 Real Madrid's defender Sergio Ramos (L) vies with Atletico Madrid's forward Fernando Torres during the UEFA Champions League semi final second leg football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid CF at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, on May 10, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU (Photo credit should read PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Antoine Griezmann – 7 MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 10: Antoine Griezmann of Atletico Madrid celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid CF at Vicente Calderon Stadium on May 10, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Keylor Navas – 7 Real Madrid's Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas dives to unsuccessfully stop Atletico's opening goal during the UEFA Champions League semifinal second leg football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid CF at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, on May 10, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / CESAR MANSO (Photo credit should read CESAR MANSO/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Danilo – 5 Atletico Madrid's Brazilian defender Filipe Luis (L) vies with Real Madrid's Brazilian defender Danilo during the UEFA Champions League semi final second leg football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid CF at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, on May 10, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / JAVIER SORIANO (Photo credit should read JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Sergio Ramos – 6 MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 10: Yannick Carrasco of Atletico Madrid is closed down by Sergio Ramos of Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid CF at Vicente Calderon Stadium on May 10, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images) Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Raphael Varane – 6 Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema (C), Real Madrid's Croatian midfielder Luka Modric (L) and Real Madrid's French defender Raphael Varane celebrate a goal during the UEFA Champions League semifinal second leg football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid CF at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, on May 10, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / GERARD JULIEN (Photo credit should read GERARD JULIEN/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Marcelo – 7 MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 10: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid talks to Marcelo prior to the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid CF at Vicente Calderon Stadium on May 10, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Casemiro – 6 Real Madrid's Brazilian midfielder Casemiro (L) vies with Atletico Madrid's Belgian midfielder Yannick Ferreira Carrasco during the UEFA Champions League semi final second leg football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid CF at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, on May 10, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU (Photo credit should read PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Toni Kroos – 7 Real Madrid's German midfielder Toni Kroos warms up before the UEFA Champions League semifinal second leg football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid CF at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, on May 10, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / JAVIER SORIANO (Photo credit should read JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Luka Modric – 7 MUNICH, GERMANY - APRIL 12: Luka Modric of Real Madrid controles the ball during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final first leg match between FC Bayern Muenchen and Real Madrid CF at Allianz Arena on April 12, 2017 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Bongarts/Getty Images) Bongarts/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Isco – 8 MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 10: Isco of Real Madrid celebrates scoring his team's opening goal with Sergio Ramos during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid CF at Vicente Calderon Stadium on May 10, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Karim Benzema – 7 Real Madrid's French forward Karim Benzema (R) vies with Atletico Madrid's French forward Antoine Griezmann during the UEFA Champions League semifinal second leg football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid CF at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, on May 10, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / GERARD JULIEN (Photo credit should read GERARD JULIEN/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid player ratings Cristiano Ronaldo – 6 Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (C) controls the ball during the UEFA Champions League semifinal second leg football match Club Atletico de Madrid vs Real Madrid CF at the Vicente Calderon stadium in Madrid, on May 10, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / GERARD JULIEN (Photo credit should read GERARD JULIEN/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images

“I just feel like the English teams are in transition all the time,” McManaman argued. “This is Real Madrid's seventh consecutive semi-final. It's no surprise that Madrid, Bayern, Barcelona, Juve, they're getting to the latter stages every single year.

“They change a few little nuances every year. In England it's ‘Oh we've had a bad season, let's rip it up and start again.’ We seem to be chasing all the time. We need a little bit of patience with the managers, we need to keep all of our better players.

Ferdinand was critical of the gulf between English and other European clubs (Getty) (AFP/Getty)

“The better players never leave here [Madrid], or at Juve. When we get a star man in the Premier League – Chelsea and Eden Hazard, it's ‘Real Madrid want him. ‘ Coutinho, oh ‘Barcelona want him’. They're looking over their shoulders all the time.”