Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged it will be "difficult" for Real Madrid to win LaLiga after Los Blancos were forced to fight back in a frustrating 1-1 draw with 10-man rivals Atletico Madrid.
Madrid would have fancied their chances of moving within five points of leaders Barcelona when Atleti substitute Angel Correa was controversially sent off with Saturday's derby poised at 0-0.
Atleti then looked set for a memorable win when Jose Gimenez headed them in front at the Santiago Bernabeu, only for 18-year-old forward Alvaro Rodriguez to spare Madrid's blushes late on.
With the stalemate handing Barcelona the chance to go 10 points clear when they visit Almeria on Sunday, Ancelotti is aware of the size of Madrid's task.
Asked about the title race by DAZN, Ancelotti said: "It was already very difficult before this match, now it's more. We are going to fight until the end, that's what I can say.
"We lacked a bit of freshness. But mentally more than physically. At 1-0, it took us 10 minutes to compose ourselves, to reposition ourselves.
"In the first half there was a lack of intensity and in the second, we reached it at the end, but we didn't fully take advantage of the numerical superiority."
However, Ancelotti did reserve praise for Alvaro, who became the youngest player to score in a Madrid derby in LaLiga this century (aged 18 years and 226 days).
"It was very important for him, a young man with an enormous dream of playing for Real Madrid," Ancelotti said of the Uruguayan forward. "This will be a special night in his life."
Alvaro's 85th-minute header denied Diego Simeone a famous victory on the day he matched Luis Aragones' record tally of 612 games in charge of Atleti, and the Colchoneros boss opted to focus on Correa's red card – issued for an innocuous push on Antonio Rudiger – in his post-match interview.
"Those who have played know that contact is not always a blow. Rudiger is 1.94 metres tall and such a brutal blow left him sitting down… then he immediately gets up," Simeone told DAZN.
"It may be a yellow, but taking out a player for that... there would be no players left on the field.
"It repeats itself, it is becoming normal and that is not right, and it would be nice if we could all compete in the same way.
"I think that VAR exposes errors much more. Every time we come here, it is never our turn to be in favour."
The result saw Atleti halt a run of three successive league defeats at the home of their cross-city rivals, though Madrid have now lost just one of their last 14 matches against Los Colchoneros in LaLiga (W6 D7).
Mesut Ozil announces retirement at age of 34
Former Arsenal and Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Ozil has announced his retirement from football at the age of 34.
The 92-cap Germany international, who won the World Cup with his country in 2014, also represented Schalke, Werder Bremen, Fenerbahce and Istanbul Basaksehir during his 17-year career.
Ozil was under contract with Turkish side Basaksehir until the end of the season, but he has called time on his playing career due to a number of injury issues.
"After thoughtful consideration, I'm announcing my immediate retirement from professional football," he wrote in a statement on his personal Twitter account on Wednesday.
"I've had the privilege to be a professional football player for almost 17 years now and I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity.
"But in recent weeks and months, having also suffered some injuries, it's become more and more clear that it's time to leave the big stage of football."
Ozil started his career with Schalke before moving to fellow Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, where his impressive form across three seasons led to a move to Madrid.
In three campaigns at the Santiago Bernabeu, the German playmaker won a LaLiga title, a Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana.
He joined Arsenal in a big-money deal in September 2013 and was arguably the best number 10 in world football for a period.
Indeed, the 146 chances Ozil created in 2015-16 remains the most ever in a single Premier League campaign.
After seven and a half years in north London, during which time he won four FA Cups, Ozil joined Fenerbahce on a free transfer after his Arsenal contract was terminated.
Ozil spent two largely unsuccessful seasons with Fener before making the switch to Basaksehir, where he had been restricted to just four league appearances this season.
"It has been an amazing journey filled with unforgettable moments and emotions," Ozil added in his statement.
"I want to thank my clubs – Schalke 04, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid, Arsenal FC, Fenerbahce, Basaksehir and the coaches who supported me, plus team-mates who have become friends.
"Special thanks must go to my family members and my closest friends. They have been a part of my journey from day one and have given me so much love and support, through the good times and the bad.
"Thank you to all my fans who have shown me so much love no matter the circumstances and no matter which club I was representing.
"Now I'm looking forward to everything that is in front of me with my beautiful wife, Amine, and my two beautiful daughters, Eda and Ela – but you can be sure that you will hear from me from time to time on my social media channels. See you soon, Mesut!"
At international level, Ozil started all seven of Germany's matches in their triumphant World Cup 2014 campaign.
He scored 23 goals in 92 appearances, the most recent of those caps coming against South Korea at the 2018 World Cup.
BREAKING NEWS: Mesut Ozil announces retirement at age of 34
Former Arsenal and Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Ozil has announced his retirement from football at the age of 34.
The former Germany international, who earned 92 caps for his country, also represented Schalke, Werder Bremen, Fenerbahce and Istanbul Basaksehir during his 17-year career.
Ozil was under contract with Turkish side Basaksehir until the end of the season, but he has called time on his playing career due to a number of injury issues.
Gnonto still in awe of working with Mancini at Italy: 'He was an idol'
Wilfried Gnonto has expressed his continued disbelief at working alongside Italy head coach Roberto Mancini as they prepare to start their Euro 2024 qualifiers against England on Thursday.
Italy missed out on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after a loss to North Macedonia in their qualifying play-off in March last year.
It was the second successive World Cup that the Azzurri had missed and came just months after their victorious Euro 2020 campaign that saw them beat England on penalties in the final.
Gnonto made his international debut in May 2022 and looks set to add to his eight caps for the national side when they face England on Thursday before travelling to Malta on Sunday.
The Leeds United winger was a product of the Inter youth academy when Mancini was in charge of the Italian side and hailed the national team boss as one of his inspirations.
In an interview with Corriere della Sera, Gnonto said: "I remember when I was young at Inter and he coached the first team. He was an idol and I never expected to be in the national team with him."
The winger became the youngest goalscorer for Italy when he scored against Germany last June and backs Mancini's recent claim that Italy have young talent comparable to England's Jude Bellingham.
He said: "He gave a strong signal, both with me and with other young people. We hope many others will follow."
The 19-year-old also hailed to influence of former assistant coach Gianluca Vialli, who worked with the younger players extensively before passing away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.
"He immediately tried to make me feel part of the group and to give me advice. The moments spent together and his words will always remain with me," Gnonto said.
Leeds sit 14th in the Premier League but just two points off the relegation zone, with Gnonto registering four goals in all competitions since his move from Zurich last year.
"I didn't even hope so much, it all happened very quickly and I didn't have time to realise," he said, reflecting on his transfer to the Premier League.
"But it was a beautiful emotion. The impact was good on a personal level, the team is experiencing some ups and downs.
"It seems like a dream to me. I come from Baveno and I never expected one day to get to the Premier League or to receive compliments from such players. I live everything with great pride and I always try to commit myself to improve."
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