Real Madrid shifts attention to La Liga with Villarreal clash

Real Madrid will shift their attention to La Liga on Saturday when Villarreal visits Santiago Bernabeu just two days after the Los Blancos got past Barcelona in the Copa Del Rey second leg semi-final on Thursday.

Karim Benzema’s hattrick and a goal from Vinicius Junior were all the Los Blancos needed to overturn a first-leg deficit to book a final date with Osasuna.

Real Madrid are currently twelve points behind Barcelona on the La Liga table with eleven matches left in the league. The race to reduce the point deficit is becoming later and slimmer, but a clash against the Yellow Submarines can kickstart something incredible.

Barcelona manager Xavi admitted before Thursday’s Copa tie that it’s difficult to rule out Real Madrid at any stage of the season.

The Blaugrana will not play until Monday when they face Girona at home; a win will get them closer to the league title and unseat the Liga and UEFA Champions League champions.

Matchday 28 will start on Friday, with Sevilla hosting Celta Vigo. Osasuna will welcome Elche after squeezing through to the final of the Copa Del Rey. A win for them against La Liga’s poorest team this season will take them Into seventh place depending on results elsewhere.

Other games on Saturday will see Athletic Club travel to Espanyol while Real Sociedad hosts Getafe.

Meanwhile, Sunday’s games will see Valladolid clash with Mallorca and Betis hosting Cadiz, Almeria playing Valencia, and Rayo Vallecano welcoming Atletico Madrid.

The standings see Barcelona clear of the pack, but there are only four points between Real Madrid and third-placed Atletico Madrid. Real Sociedad, Betis, and Villarreal are in fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively.

Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski remains top of the goalscorer chart with seventeen goals, four goals more than Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema.

Daniel Ademiju Idowu