Rufete, Espanyol's interim coach, believed his team could have taken points from Real Madrid if the stadium had fans in it.
"We took a step forward," he said. "If the fans had been there we would not have lost them." Stadiums are shut to supporters because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Espanyol are now 10 points from safety and bottom of the table.
"It's getting harder each time. We knew the Eibar result, the results of others are important but not determinant.
"Our team lives game to game. I decide who plays and the only thing I'm thinking about is the next game."