MADRID : Under pressure from fans after failing to win four of their last five LaLiga matches, Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid face a must-win game at home against neighbours Rayo Vallecano on Sunday as they look to stay in the title race.
Barcelona have moved into the driving seat in a stunning role reversal. Madrid held a 10-point lead over the Catalans at the end of January, albeit having played an extra game, but have seen their comfortable advantage vanish, leaving them with a battle to retain their crown.
Hansi Flick’s Barca are top on 57 points, one ahead of Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid with Real now lingering in third on 54 points after squandering an early lead to fall to a 2-1 loss at Real Betis last weekend.
It will be a tricky challenge for Ancelotti, who has a depleted squad that has been struggling with several injuries to key players since the beginning of the season.
Squad management will also be a consideration for Flick and Simeone when Barca host Osasuna and Atletico visit Getafe.
Barca and Atletico are expected to rotate their squads so key players don’t run out of gas in the midst of a relentless schedule with both teams also in contention for all three major trophies available.
Atletico take a short bus drive to the south of Madrid to face Getafe on Sunday before they host city rivals Real in a mouth-watering second-leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie on Wednesday, with Ancelotti’s side having the upper hand after snatching a 2-1 win this week.
On Tuesday, Barcelona will defend the 1-0 first-leg lead they earned at Benfica in a hard-fought victory in which they played most of the game with 10 men after teenage defender Pau Cubarsi was shown a straight red card early in the game.
Barca’s players ended the match exhausted after their relentless effort on a pitch soaked by the heavy rain that had poured down all day in Lisbon.
It is expected that Hansi Flick will field a much changed selection on Saturday against Osasuna in LaLiga, so he can give his regular starters a rest, conserving energy for what is likely to be another European midweek battle.
