Zinedine Zidane declared Real Madrid "are alive" in a LaLiga title race that was given a stunning twist thanks to Karim Benzema's late equaliser against Atletico Madrid.
Moments after Atletico threatened to go 2-0 ahead, Benzema drove the ball past Jan Oblak to earn a 1-1 draw that keeps Madrid clinging to hopes of a successful title defence.
They are not as close as they would hope; five points off the pace having played one more game than Atletico means there is a mountain to climb.
But that gap was almost eight points after Luis Suarez's early strike looked set to decide the derby, with Benzema's 88th-minute intervention a welcome reprieve for the visitors to the Wanda Metropolitano.
"It is deserved, we had chances at the end. We could have scored more, but the good thing was we had a different second half and changed the game," Zidane told a post-game news conference.
"It is a point, we are alive. We are going to keep fighting. It is a correct result, we believed until the end that it could be recovered."
Madrid thought they should have had a penalty late in the first half when a corner from Toni Kroos zipped across the six-yard box and struck Felipe on the arm, but referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez rejected the claims, even after viewing the incident on a touchline screen.
Perhaps Zidane might have had a different view if Benzema had not equalised, but Madrid's head coach offered a phlegmatic post-game perspective.
"His job is difficult. It is his decision, his responsibility. We have to respect that," Zidane said of the referee. "The players said it was a hand, he has reviewed it and decided not to whistle."
Atletico are three points ahead of second-placed Barcelona but finished this game deflated, and their once-commanding lead has been whittled away in recent weeks.
"We know there is a lot left," Zidane said. "Everything can always change, we are doing things well, we can improve.
"I am very proud of all my players. We are in the same boat and we are going to fight to the end."
Atletico have now gone 10 LaLiga derbies against Madrid without a win, drawing six of those games and losing four times.
The result also means Real Madrid have not lost any of their four LaLiga games at Atletico's new home (W1 D3), and they remain the only team to have played in the stadium in the Spanish top flight without losing.
Zidane also avoided a rare defeat to Diego Simeone, meaning the Atletico boss now has just one victory in nine matches (W1 D5 L3) against the Frenchman in LaLiga. That 11 per cent win record for Simeone is the Argentinian's worst against any manager he has faced at least four times in the competition.
Ultimately, Real Madrid set out to bring home all three points, yet the one they left with felt almost like a win.
Speaking to broadcaster Movistar, Zidane explained he was impressed by how greatly Madrid improved in the second half, after a shaky start to the game.
"We had to be more aggressive, be higher, have more pressure. We had to be more alive on the pitch," he said. "You can get into a bad game, but then you have to change.
"That's what we did in the second half, change at a general level, defensively and offensively.
"They are a direct rival. We wanted all three points. The important thing is to turn the game around. Now we have to continue."
“We knew it would be a difficult match”- Hallgrimsson pleased after hard-fought 2-2 draw with Mexico at the Azteca
Reggae Boyz Head Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson is happy that his team came away with a point in their CONCACAF Nations League fixture against powerhouses Mexico at the Azteca Stadium on Sunday.
The Reggae Boyz took the lead in the seventh minute through a spectacular right-footed volley from outside the box by Fulham midfielder Bobby Reid.
Mexico capitalised on a defensive lapse by the Jamaicans to make in 1-1 10 minutes later before the away team, once again, took the lead when Edson Alvarez scored an own-goal in the 32nd minute.
Napoli star Hirving Lozano then converted a 47th minute penalty to complete the scoring on the day with both teams settling for a 2-2 draw.
“It is a difficult place to come,” said Hallgrimsson to reporters after the game.
“They are one of the powerhouses in CONCACAF so we knew it was going to be a difficult match. I think we did some good things but we are starting a journey together,” he added.
While acknowledging that the team has a lot of improvements to make, the Iceland native was encouraged by the fact that the team can get something out of a game in hostile territory.
“I know we need to improve a lot of things still but, the good thing about this game for us is that it shows even though we go away and play in a difficult stadium like the Azteca, we can still get something from the game,” he said.
Mead needs 'a miracle' as England boss Wiegman plans for Women's World Cup without Arsenal forward
Beth Mead will miss the Women's World Cup unless "a miracle happens", according to England head coach Sarina Wiegman.
The Arsenal forward suffered an anterior cruciate ligament knee injury in November and has not played since.
Such injuries are long-term setbacks, and it was the cruellest of blows for Mead, coming so soon after she played a starring role in England's Euro 2022 triumph.
Mead won the Player of the Tournament award and the Golden Boot as hosts England swept to glory, edging out Germany 2-1 in the Wembley Stadium final on July 31.
The 27-year-old former Sunderland striker would have been central to England's plans for this year's global tournament, which is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand in July and August.
Wiegman believes there is next to no chance of Mead being fit to feature for the Lionesses, however.
Speaking in a press conference on Tuesday, Wiegman said of Mead: "I had a conversation with her. She's doing well. She's in rehab and she's doing good.
"But the World Cup is actually too early, so what we said now is she's not in our plans now.
"[She should] just really take the time to get back well, but if a miracle happens and she goes so fast we will reconsider it, but at this moment I don't expect that."
England have home friendlies against Australia and Brazil in April as they build towards the focal point of the year.
There are also worries over Chelsea forward Fran Kirby, who is sidelined with a knee injury of her own, albeit not one as serious as the one Mead sustained.
"Of course I'm concerned because she's been out for a while now," Wiegman said. "But I want to keep this opportunity open, and she'll be treated as we treat anyone else.
"Hopefully she gets fit, gets on the pitch, gets playing, and then you need to show performance and fitness. It's a little concern, but also don't think too much forward, just see how she progresses."
Spurs players support Conte sacking but Kulusevski 'sad' to see him go
Tottenham winger Dejan Kulusevski was "sad" to see Antonio Conte fired by the club but claimed Spurs players support the decision to remove him from his post.
Conte and Spurs parted company on Sunday after a week of intense speculation suggesting he had already taken charge of his final game.
The Italian made headlines last Saturday when he went on a remarkable rant in his post-match press conference after Spurs threw away a two-goal lead at Southampton to draw 3-3.
He called his players "selfish" and extraordinarily suggested the club's lack of tangible success in recent years was ingrained, saying: "Tottenham's story is this – 20 years and they never won something. Why?"
Conte was reportedly asked by club chiefs to clarify those comments and he was said to have insisted they were aimed at the players rather than hierarchy, though seemingly that was not enough to save his job.
Since Conte's exit was confirmed, media reports have brought to light apparent frustrations with Conte from the squad, though Kulusevski – who was signed during the former Inter boss' tenure – appeared disappointed.
He told Fotballskanalen: "It's always sad when a person you work with and have grown close to has to leave.
"But life goes on and you just have to move on. We have ten games left now and we have to do our best to reach the top four."
Kulusevski added: "He has been very important [to me]. I have learned a lot from him and I will always remember him, but now we have his assistant [Cristian Stellini], who I know very well.
"Then we'll see who comes in next season, but I enjoy the city and the club very much."
Nevertheless, Sweden international Kulusevski clarified that, while he seemed somewhat disheartened by the change, collectively the Spurs squad does not have an issue with the action taken by decision makers.
"It's not me who decides. Whoever is the coach, we players will always accept and play for him and for everyone else," he said.
"Now the club made this decision because they think it is the best, and we players stand behind that."
Spurs are back in Premier League action on Monday when they go to Everton – at that point, Newcastle United, who have two games in hand, could have replaced them in fourth.
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