Real Madrid will be bidding to return to winning ways on Sunday evening, when they welcome relegation-threatened Celta Vigo to Bernabeu in Spain's top flight.
Los Blancos are currently top of the La Liga table, seven points ahead of second-placed Girona, while Celta sit down in 17th position, five points ahead of 18th-placed Cadiz.
Match preview
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Real Madrid were far from their best against RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, but a 1-1 draw in the second leg of their last-16 clash at Bernabeu proved to be enough to edge into the quarter-finals of the tournament courtesy of a 2-1 aggregate success.
Carlo Ancelotti's side also drew their last league match at Valencia last weekend, with the division leaders needing to come from two goals behind to pick up a point, as Vinicius Junior netted a brace.
Real Madrid were also held by Rayo Vallecano on February 18, but they still have a healthy advantage at the top of the division, sitting seven points ahead of second-placed Girona and eight clear of Barcelona in third.
Los Blancos have the second-best home record in La Liga this season, picking up 35 points from 13 matches courtesy of a record of 11 wins and two draws, while they have only conceded seven times at Bernabeu in the league during the 2023-24 campaign.
Real Madrid are chasing success in both La Liga and the Champions League this season, and they will be expecting to make it successive victories over Celta and Osasuna ahead of the international break, before returning to action with an intriguing clash against Athletic Bilbao on March 31.
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Celta are also in need of the points this weekend but for very different reasons, with Rafael Benitez's side currently 17th in the table, five points clear of the relegation zone with 11 games left.
The Sky Blues have finished eighth, 11th and 13th in their last three campaigns and have not operated outside of La Liga since the 2011-12 season, so it would be a surprise to see them relegated this term.
Celta have found it difficult to show consistency this season, though, boasting a record of five wins, nine draws and 13 defeats from 27 matches to collect 24 points, and they are certainly in a relegation battle.
Benitez's team have picked up four points from their last two games against Cadiz and Almeria, though, with Oscar Mingueza hitting a second-half winner against the team at the bottom last time out.
Celta have collected 11 points on their travels this season, which is far from a disastrous record, but they have not managed to overcome Real Madrid in Spain's top flight since May 2014 and have been beaten in each of the last seven La Liga fixtures between the two teams.
Team News
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Real Madrid remain without the services of Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao and David Alaba due to ACL injuries.
Alaba will not play again until next season, but both Courtois and Militao are in line to return before the end of April, which will be a huge boost for Los Blancos at a vital stage of the campaign.
The league leaders have no other injury concerns, but the club have been unable to overturn Jude Bellingham's two-game La Liga suspension, so the England international will also be missing this weekend.
Head coach Ancelotti is expected to make changes to the side that started against Leipzig, with Rodrygo, Luka Modric and Brahim Diaz potentially being introduced, and Aurelien Tchouameni could drop back into the middle of the defence on Sunday despite the availability of Nacho.
As for Celta, Renato Tapia, Joseph Aidoo, Miguel Rodriguez and Mihailo Ristic are definitely out of the match through injury, while Williot Swedberg and Carlos Dotor remain major doubts for the visitors.
Iago Aspas is available again following a suspension, though, and the experienced forward is expected to return to the starting lineup, potentially featuring alongside Jorgen Strand Larsen in a front two.
Benitez is expected to keep faith with the majority of the side that took to the field for the first whistle against Almeria, with Jonathan Bamba set to operate down the left, while Mingueza could continue in a wide midfield role down the right ahead of Javier Manquillo.
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Lunin; Carvajal, Rudiger, Tchouameni, Mendy; Valverde, Modric, Kroos; Diaz, Rodrygo, Vinicius
Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:
Guaita; Manquillo, Starfelt, U Nunez, Sanchez; Mingueza, Beltran, De la Torre, Bamba; Larsen, Aspas
We say: Real Madrid 2-0 Celta Vigo
Real Madrid are not in their best form of the season, and Celta certainly have the players to make this a difficult match despite their poor position in the table. Los Blancos will be determined to return to winning ways, though, and we are expecting Ancelotti's side to navigate their way to all three points in the capital.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
