'I am not going to resign, not at all': Zinedine Zidane defiant as Real Madrid's Champions League hopes hang in balance

Defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk sees the Spanish giants slip to third in the group and facing the prospect of failing to reach the last 16 for the first time since 1997

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane gives instructions to substitutes Mariano, Isco and Vinicius Junior during the Champions League defeat against against Shakhtar Donetsk. Reuters

Shakhtar Donetsk's Dentinho scores their first goal against Real Madrid. Reuters

Shakhtar Donetsk manager Luis Castro celebrates with his players at the end of the match after beating Real Madrid. Reuters

Real Madrid's Lucas Vazquez tackles Shakhtar Donetsk's Manor Soloman. Reuters

Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid defender Ferland Mendy talk on the touchline. Reuters

Shakhtar Donetsk's Manor Soloman celebrates scoring the second goal with Mateus Tete. Reuters

Shakhtar Donetsk's Taison takes on Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane. Reuters

Real Madrid forward Lucas Vazquez goes to catch the ball as Zinedine Zidane watches on from the touchline. AFP

Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Dentinho runs with the ball during the Champions League match against Real Madrid. AFP

Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Taras Stepanenko heads the ball during the Champions League match against Real Madrid. AFP

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois lays on the ground as Shakhtar Donetsk's Marlos celebrates the first goal scored by Dentinho. Reuters

Shakhtar Donetsk forward Tete tracks Real Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez. AFP

Real Madrid's Ferland Mendy attempts to control the ball under pressure from Shakhtar Donetsk's Dodo. Reuters

Shakhtar Donetsk's Vitao in action with Real Madrid's Karim Benzema. Reuters

Zinedine Zidane has said he has no intention of resigning as Real Madrid manager after the Spanish giants extended their poor run of form with a 2-0 defeat at Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Substitutes Dentinho and Manor Solomon both scored second-half goals in Kiev as Shakhtar stunned the 13-time European champions again, having already won 3-2 in Madrid in October.

Shakhtar had lost their last two Group B matches against Borussia Moenchengladbach by an aggregate score of 10-0, but this victory allowed them to move above Madrid into second place with one game remaining.

Gladbach top the group by one point, while Shakhtar now have the upper hand on Real thanks to their superior head-to-head record.

However, Inter Milan's 3-2 win away to Gladbach not only kept the Italians alive, but also limited the damage for Real, who now know a win at home to the Germans next week will take them through, regardless of how Shakhtar fare in their last game.

Madrid have progressed from the group stages every year since 1997 and so failure to qualify would be seen as a disaster, but Zidane said he would not leave the club he has so far led to three Champions League triumphs and two La Liga titles over two spells as coach.

"I am not going to resign, not at all," said Zidane. "We are always going to have difficult moments, and we are on a bad run, but we need to keep going."

"I have the strength needed to turn the situation around and I am going to give everything to do that, so are the players," added the Frenchman, whose team also lost at the weekend, going down 2-1 at home to Alaves in La Liga.

"We played well and we deserved more. We just need to lift our heads up and think about the next game."

The next game is a tough La Liga away trip to Sevilla, who sit one point and one place below Madrid in the standings, albeit with a game in hand. Madrid enter Saturday's match having failed to win in their past three league outings, following defeats to Valencia and Alaves either side of a draw with Villarreal.