Ancelotti admits that the title race is ‘difficult’ for Madrid despite the comeback against Atletico

Atletico Madrid went down to 10-men but managed to score the first goal against Real Madrid who were losing the match until late in the game when youngster Alvaro Rodriguez scored to rescue a point.

Despite the hard-fought point,

boss Ancelotti admits that the title race is “difficult” for them.  Barcelona now have the chance to go 10 points clear of second-placed Madrid if they win their game in hand against Almeria.

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."

Alvaro Rodriguez became the youngest goalscorer to score in the Madrid derby (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."

Atleti boss Simeone decided to focus on the red card that Correa received.

"Those who have played know that contact is not always a blow. Rudiger is 1.94 meters 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 favor."

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