Real Madrid hosts Espanyol (13th) on Saturday in LaLiga matchday 34 with the aim of becoming champion with five matchdays remaining in the championship.
The defeat of Barcelona (2nd) on Sunday against Rayo Vallecano (11th) 1-0, has left the door open for the meringues to sing the alirón in their stadium on Saturday afternoon.
A draw against Espanyol is enough for Carlo Ancelotti’s men to become champions.
Real Madrid arrives at the game after surviving the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals in Manchester on Tuesday by losing 4-3 to City, waiting for the second leg next week at the Bernabéu.
The meringues will take to the pitch with an eye on that second leg, but on a positive streak with only one draw and one defeat in their last ten matches in the Spanish championship.
Quite the opposite of his rival who has lost three of his last five games and who needs the points to ensure permanence, which is bordering on.
Ancelotti will have to decide if he makes any rotation after Tuesday’s demanding game in Manchester and looking at the return match with the Citizens, taking into account that the Merengues just need to secure a point in the five remaining days to proclaim themselves champion.
Fight for the Champions
With the title in the white pocket, the fight tightens from behind for the remaining three Champions League places.
Barcelona and Seville (3rd), tied on 63 points, face Mallorca (16th) and Cádiz (17th) respectively.
The azulgrana need a victory against the islanders to stop a negative game dynamic that has led them to lose two of their last three league games.
“We have five finals left, we have complicated ourselves,” said Barça coach, Xavi Hernández, after the defeat against Rayo, reiterating that the objective is the fight for second place.
Barça faces a Mallorca side, which is just two points from the relegation places, and needs to get away from the abyss.
Sevilla will open the day on Friday against Cádiz (17th), which marks the salvation and also wants to continue scoring to get away from the relegation zone to the Second Division.
Behind, Atlético de Madrid needs points in the field of Athletic de Bilbao (8th) to establish itself in the Champions zone.
Fourth-placed, they are five points behind Betis (5th), the brand new Copa del Rey champion, who closes the day on Monday at Getafe (15th).
