La Liga preview: Madrid seeking to apply strain on leaders Barca

essential Madrid might have their supporting solid to step up towards Osasuna and support the champions continue the strain on La Liga leaders Barcelona, amid doubts over Karim Benzema’s health.

Conquest on the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday towards Elche reduce Barcelona’s result in eight factors and Madrid may bring about additional inroads on Saturday. inclusive the Catalans not in motion till Sunday towards Cadiz after their Europa combination draw with Manchester conjoined, Madrid can transfer to inside 5 factors of the leaders. French ahead Benzema returned from harm to support essential Madrid win the Membership cosmos people Cup final weekend after which netted a brace from the penalty spot midweek towards Elche.

Ballon d’Or holder Benzema has endured a stop-start season due to the fact of harm, lacking France’s cosmos people Cup marketing campaign and subsequently retiring from worldwide responsibility. The 35-year-old striker has solely been in a position to play in 13 of Madrid’s 21 league video games this season, scoring 11 ambitions, however reviews in Spain advise he might not bring about the journey to Pamplona.

Vinicius Younger will return after suspension and together with Rodrygo, Marcos Asensio and Fede Valverde, coach Carlo Ancelotti has extra attacking possibilities if Benzema is stored in cotton wool forward of Madrid’s Champions combination conflict with Liverpool subsequent week. Benzema returned from a thigh crisis to attain towards Al-Hilal within the Membership cosmos people Cup ultimate in Morocco, then moved on to 230 La Liga ambitions towards Elche, making him the fifth highest goalscorer of all time within the Spanish major flight.

Madrid performed Al Ahly within the semi-finals with out Benzema and gained 4-1, with Vinicius, Valverde, Rodrygo and younger ahead Sergio Arribas all scoring. “For me (Rodrygo) is a complete player, he can play in any position in the attack, on the left, on the right, through the middle,” pronounced Ancelotti. “He’s different to Vinicius … but he is as strong as ‘Vini’ at taking players on one-on-one. The lucky thing for us is that we have both of them.”

Vinicius shone on the Membership cosmos people Cup, prevailing the participant of the event award, a welcome respite from his troubles in La Liga. In his earlier league visual appeal he was fouled 10 instances for the duration of a 1-0 defeat by Mallorca, with defenders continuously hounding him and Osasuna might supply same therapy.

If Benzema doesn’t play, even with the array of attacking possibilities Madrid have, the hosts will fancy their possibilities of inflicting an upset, significantly with Madrid’s impending journey to Anfield looming. Osasuna, ninth, are with no win in 4 video games in La Liga however their supporters are inclined to whip up ferocious atmospheres as they do battle with the league’s giants.

 
February 17, 2023

Participant to look at: Jan Oblak

Atletico Madrid’s Slovenian goalkeeper has not been at his optimal this season however Oblak made a string of sensible saves final weekend to earn his staff a 1-0 win over Celta Vigo. sinewy Bilbao go to the Metropolitano on Sunday in a troublesome check and Oblak might be key once again.

solution stats

5 – For the reason that cosmos people Cup, essential Sociedad’s Alexander Sorloth and sinewy Bilbao’s Oihan Sancet are the division’s major scorers with 5 ambitions every

6 – Pedri has netted six league ambitions for Barcelona this season, matching his complete throughout his first two campaigns.

60 – Girona midfielder Aleix Garcia has created extra possibilities than some other participant this season in La Liga

Fixtures (CET)

Friday

Girona v Almeria (21:00)

Saturday

essential Sociedad v Celta Vigo (14:00), essential Betis v Valladolid (16:15), Mallorca v Villarreal (18:30), Osasuna v essential Madrid (21:00)

Sunday

Elche v Espanyol (14:00), Rayo Vallecano v Sevilla (16:15), Atletico Madrid v sinewy Bilbao (18:30), Barcelona v Cadiz (21:00)

Monday

Getafe v Valencia (21:00)