Jose Mourinho rejected suggestions the La Liga title race is over after his Real Madrid team moved 10 points clear of champions Barcelona.
Real came from a goal down to beat Levante 4-2 at Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, a day after Barca s 3-2 defeat away to Osasuna.
The team from the Spanish capital now appear firmly on course to lift their first La Liga crown since 2008, but Mourinho knows anything can happen between now and the end of the domestic season.
There are many points still at stake and many games yet to be played, he said.
Every match is difficult and increasingly so because there is so much at stake for everyone now.
Those who want to avoid relegation or play in Europe risk everything. There are 39 points left, which translate into 13 victories, and that s still a lot.
Ten points are just that, but they do give you some room for error. Losing a game won t push us into a decisive situation.
I tell my players that those who say the championship is over are the same who put pressure on us when we don t win.
Although they ran out comfortable victors by the end of the match, Real were edgy at times, with a safety-first approach incurring the displeasure of their demanding fans.
A spectacular goal from Cristiano Ronaldo the 4000th strike at Real s famous home and Karim Benzema s well-taken effort sent the supporters home satisfied.
Ronaldo echoed his coach s sentiments by insisting there is still a long way to go in the title race.
The Portugal international scored three of Madrid s four goals in the win but said it was still far too early to celebrate.
There is still a lot left, we are going to have to wait, he said.
We are playing well. This was a hard match in which we got off a bid badly, but then we scored and we changed.
We are doing well and we have to continue like this.
Ronaldo s hat-trick puts him at the top of the Liga s scoring charts, one goal ahead of Barca s Lionel Messi.
Goals come as a result of work of the team, Ronaldo said. Personally, I am in a good moment and I want to continue like this.
Mourinho added that he has little regard for his team s entertainment value, prizing valuable points above the need for style.
I told my men Levante were a tight outfit, that we were giving them the ball and they were then passing it forward to (Aroune) Kone, Mourinho said.
We had to play touch football and avoid losing it. The crowd doesn t like it when we keep the ball.
If we win this league, it won t be due to the goal average, but because we ll have more points than Barcelona.
