Madrid: Real Madrid have the chance to open up a four-point gap at the top of La Liga on Saturday.
Real entertain Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium before travelling to play one of the two games they have in hand over their title rivals Barcelona in Valencia on Wednesday.
Saturday’s game comes on the back of Madrid’s 3-1 win at home over Napoli in the Champions League in which they played some of their best football of the year to come back from a goal down.
Real coach Zinedine Zidane will probably make some changes to his starting 11 with Matteo Kovecic, Isco and Nacho Fernandez in with a chance of starting.
But the big news is the likely return of Welsh forward Gareth Bale to action after almost three months out with an ankle injury. Bale is unlikely to start the game, but may be introduced as a substitute sometime in the second half.
Espanyol have traditionally been a comfortable side for Real Madrid and last season saw them beaten 6-0 at home and away to the league leaders.
However, they have toughened up considerably under Quique Sanchez Flores and after a slow start to the season and have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe next season.
Gerard Moreno is a handful in attack, while former Valencia winger Pablo Piatti is usually at the heart of their best moves and has been involved in half of their goals this season, either scoring them himself, or supplying the final pass.
Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Diego Lopez is assured of a warm reception on his return to the Bernabeu — although most Real fans will be expecting to see him pick the ball out of the net on more than one occasion.
Still reeling from their humiliation at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona can’t afford a Champions League hangover as they return to La Liga action at home to Leganes on Sunday.
Coach Luis Enrique has been the fall guy for Barca’s disastrous showing in the 4-0 Champions League thrashing in Paris on Tuesday with fans, media and even the club’s players criticising his tactical set up.
Even Lionel Messi was off colour as his mistake led to PSG’s second goal, but Javier Mascherano claimed the five-time World Player of the Year is the only Barca player who can’t be questioned.
“Leo is indispensable and, yes, the rest of us are expendable,” Mascherano told Barca magazine.
“He is unique. We are talking about the best player in the history of this sport without any doubt.”
Sevilla can leapfrog Barca into second for at least 24 hours as they warm up for their Champions League clash with Leicester City on Wednesday by hosting the on-form Eibar, who harbour European ambitions of their own.
Atletico Madrid could also have a return to Champions League action in mind when they travel to a Sporting Gijon side suddenly eyeing survival after their first win since December at Leganes last weekend.
Any slip up by Atletico could be pounced on by Sociedad, who trail Diego Simeone’s men by just a point in the battle for fourth, and host sixth-placed Villarreal in a huge clash for the final Champions League place on Sunday lunchtime.
