After being knocked out of the Champions League by Arsenal and losing the Copa del Rey final to Barcelona, Real Madrid’s last hope of silverware lies in retaining their La Liga crown.
Los Blancos host Celta Vigo this Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu with their sights set on keeping pace with league leaders Barcelona, who sit four points ahead.
Real’s week has been further complicated by the loss of key defenders. Antonio Rudiger, banned for six matches for throwing an object at a referee, is out for the season following knee surgery. Ferland Mendy and David Alaba are also sidelined, joining long-term absentees Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao.
With Carlo Ancelotti’s backline severely depleted, the pressure is on as Celta Vigo — chasing European football — arrive in Madrid. Ancelotti, who is expected to leave at the season’s end, remains determined.
“We have time to prepare the games against Celta and Barcelona,” said the coach. “We have to continue competing until the end.”
Following the Celta clash, Madrid will face Barcelona at the Olympic Stadium — a fixture likely to shape the title race. But first, they must avoid any further slip-ups and ensure the gap remains at four points or less.
Barcelona play away at Real Valladolid on Saturday, between the legs of their Champions League semifinal against Inter Milan.
Madrid previously beat Celta in the Copa del Rey round of 16, though controversy surrounded that game after Celta were denied a possible penalty.
“All of Spain saw it,” said Celta forward Iago Aspas, ahead of the rematch. Despite Madrid’s recent form, Aspas isn’t counting them out.
“In football, you can never rule anything out,” he said. “We’ll try to control possession, attack, and then see what happens.”
Meanwhile, Villarreal’s Ayoze Perez eyes the top Spanish scorer title, just one goal behind Athletic Bilbao’s Oihan Sancet, who is currently sidelined. Perez has a chance to add to his tally against Osasuna on Saturday.
