Following defeat in El Clasico just before the international break, Real Madrid’s La Liga title defence is all but over, having fallen 12 points behind Barcelona with 12 games to play.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side are now in the battle for second place with city rivals Atletico Madrid, who are, along with Barcelona, one of the form teams in La Liga in 2023. Los Rojiblancos trail Real Madrid by just five points, having been 13 points behind just eight matchdays ago.
📊| January 20 (matchday 18):
Real Madrid: 44 points
Atleti: 31 pointsMarch 19 (matchday 26):
Real Madrid: 56 points
Atleti: 51 points[via @la_colchoneria] pic.twitter.com/rkjwOV1Lrc
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) March 19, 2023
Real Madrid will hope to get back to track when they host Real Valladolid on Sunday, and can extend the gap to eight points, with Atletico not playing until later in the day. However, should either Dani Carvajal, Eduardo Camavinga or Dani Ceballos be booked, they will miss next weekend’s fixture against Villarreal.
Camavinga has established himself as an important player for Real Madrid in recent months, while Carvajal’s performance levels have gone in the opposite direction. Nevertheless, Ancelotti will hope to have all three players available for weeks to come.
April could be a defining month for Real Madrid, with the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final against Barcelona on Wednesday. Furthermore, they take on Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
