Zinedine Zidane apologised for Real Madrid's performance in a shock defeat by struggling Rayo Vallecano after admitting it had made him angry.

Real slipped to a 1-0 defeat at the Campo de Futbol de Vallecas courtesy of Adrian Embarba's 23rd-minute penalty, which had been awarded on the evidence of a VAR review.

But they created little as the remote chances of edging past arch-rivals Atletico Madrid into second place in the LaLiga table were effectively dashed, and Zidane was pulling no punches afterwards.

"We've got three games, three direct rivals. More than three points, they're games in which six points are at play. We have to hold on to that.

"We have to win the nine points we have got left to play for."