Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti lamented his side's defensive mistakes and missed opportunities in their 3-3 draw at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, but said he was not worried about the result, praising his players' effort.
Despite acknowledging the lack of focus in defence, Ancelotti said he saw plenty of positives from his side who he believes are moving in the right direction.
Real missed the chance to move above leaders Barcelona in LaLiga as they stay second on 37 points from 17 matches, one behind the Catalans who host Leganes on Sunday when Atletico, in third place on 35 from 16 games, welcome Getafe.
"It was a complete game, which also included many errors, but I thought we didn't suffer as much as the final result would suggest," Ancelotti told a press conference on Saturday.
"I was much more worried about those draws against Mallorca and Las Palmas... Now we have the attitude and commitment of last year and that is promising.
"I look ahead and I see a 2025 that is very positive, although I could be wrong. It's very good, with the players showing a lot of desire and enthusiasm.
"We're in the hunt for everything we're playing for. We're doing well, despite the many difficulties we've had due to injuries. Today we started without a lot of first-team players, up to seven. When they all come back, the team will be much better."
Rayo stunned the champions with a goal after four minutes on counter when Jorge de Frutos ran past Fran Garcia before crossing to the unmarked Unai Lopez whose header at the far post beat goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
They extended their lead when Abdul Mumin was left alone behind Lucas Vazquez and nodded home from a corner in the 36th.
However, a thunderous Federico Valverde strike from long range got Real back in the game three minutes later with Rodrygo finding Jude Bellingham who netted a first-time effort from inside the box to level just before the break.
Rodrygo then almost scored with an angled shot that forced a reflex save from Augusto Batalla just after the break.
But the Brazilian was not to be denied and in the 56th gave Real the lead with a deflected strike from the edge of the area.
Ancelotti brought on Vinicius Jr to provide a spark Real were missing and Batalla made a fine save to deny him, with Arda Guler having a goal ruled out for offside minutes later.
Real looked in control and appealed for a penalty for a foul on Vinicius Jr which was waved away before Rayo stunned them again when Isi Palazon moved between defenders Antonio Ruediger and Aurelien Tchouameni to deflect a cross into the net.
Ancelotti's side tried to push for the win but Batalla denied efforts from Vinicius and substitute Endrick, with Ruediger missing a clear chance late on as Real had to settle for a draw that could prove costly in the title race.
Defenders Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao will be sidelined for several months with ACL tears suffered early in the season while David Alaba is still to return from the same injury, sustained last year. Forward Kylian Mbappe, fullback Ferland Mendy and midfielder Eduardo Camavinga have short-term injuries.
Ancelotti defended his decision to leave winger Vinicius Jr on the bench from the start as he did not want to risk any setbacks after the Brazilian returned only last week after missing four games with a leg muscle injury.
"He was coming back from injury and we wanted to be careful with him. I thought he played a good game," Ancelotti said.
"It was hard to see my players giving more than they gave today. I see a good future ahead. On Wednesday we have to win the Intercontinental Cup (against Pachuca), that would be the icing on the cake (after the LaLiga-Champions League double)."
