Real Madrid faces Atletico in key La Liga derby as it tries to catch Barcelona
Real Madrid’s bid to catch Barcelona and win La Liga faces a critical test in the Spanish capital derby this weekend. A win ensures Real stays close to Barcelona or even gains ground on the front-runner if Hansi Flick's side were to stumble against Rayo Vallecano earlier on the same day.
MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid’s bid to catch Barcelona and win La Liga faces a critical test in the Spanish capital derby this weekend. Real Madrid hosts Atletico Madrid on Sunday trailing Barcelona by four points with 10 rounds remaining. A win ensures Real stays close to Barcelona or even gains ground on the front-runner if Hansi Flick's side were to stumble against Rayo Vallecano earlier on the same day.
But a Real loss combined with a Barcelona victory would put Barcelona in a strong position to successfully defend its crown. Real, Atletico and Barcelona are all feeling good after eliminating English opponents in the Champions League round of 16 this week. Key matches Real will be seeking some vengeance for the 5-2 drubbing Atletico dealt it in their first league meeting at Metropolitano Stadium in September.
That result started the downfall of then-coach Xabi Alonso. Real has had some more bad losses under Álvaro Arbeloa but Alonso’s replacement got a huge boost after his team handily defeated Manchester City 5-1 on aggregate to reach the Champions League quarterfinals. Atletico is in third place in La Liga and a full 13 points behind Barcelona.
Atletico’s 7-5 aggregate win over Tottenham in the Champions League this week set up a European quarterfinal with Barcelona next month. Barcelona will be heavily favored to dispatch Rayo at Camp Nou after it blasted Newcastle 7-2 on Wednesday. Players to watch Raphinha is on fire after five goals in his last two games for Barcelona.