Xabi Alonso has said Real Madrid can’t afford to drop any more points if they are to win La Liga this season.
Los Blancos were beaten by Sevilla on Wednesday and coupled with victories for Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, are now third in the table.
They trail Barcelona by a point, with leaders Atletico now three points clear of their city rivals.
“The margin of error is minimal. We must win all our remaining games,” Alonso told reporters.
“We have to change the situation and correct the mistakes that have led to our recent defeats,” he added, citing the Clasico reverse.
“We wanted to forget [the Clasico] and come here and win but sometimes we haven’t been on at our best level.
“Our last two games have been negatives and little else. We have had many chances but it wasn’t to be. We still have to believe.
“We have to prove on the field that we can win games, trim the gap soon and recover the defensive security we had before.”
Alonso was asked if the players missing against Sevilla – suspended Sergio Ramos and the unfit Angel Di Maria – made a difference.
“We shouldn’t look to those who aren’t with us. This is a team,” Alonso replied.
