Ramos:We are in a scrap for every point

REAL Madrid captain Sergio Ramos accepts the team cannot afford another slip when they head to Eibar today as the battle intensifies at the top of LaLiga.

Zinedine Zidane’s men fought back from 3-1 down to draw with Las Palmas at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night, where Cristiano Ronaldo scored two late goals after Gareth Bale had been sent off.

Despite rallying to secure a positive result, the dropped points allowed Barcelona to move above Real after they had earlier beaten Sporting Gijon 6-1.

Real may still hold a match in hand on Barcelona and remain two points ahead of thirdplaced Sevilla but Ramos knows the players must not underperform once again when they travel to Ipurua.

“We need to improve, things are not going well and we have less and less margin for error,” said Ramos.

“We have to value every point we can snatch in LaLiga because it is a real scrap.”

The defender added: “We have a game in hand, a LaLiga title to play for and at Real Madrid we don’t give up without a fight.”

Zidane believes the players are paying the price for a slow start in recent matches, having lost last month away at Valencia.

“We are not doing as well as we were before. We have been poor in the first half of the last three or four games,” said the Real Madrid coach.

“At the end of the day we cannot be content with what we are doing, but we have time to change and we will turn it around.”

Barcelona host Celta Vigo tonight, while Sevilla are not in action until Monday when they travel to Copa del Rey finalists Alaves.

Real Madrid observed a minute’s silence at training yesterday in memory of former Ballon d’Or winner Raymond Kopa, who claimed three consecutive European Cups with Los Blancos in the 1950s and has died at the age of 85.

Meanwhile, Bale has been suspended for two LaLiga matches for his dismissal against Las Palmas on Wednesday night.