Who: Real Madrid vs Elche
Content: Spanish soccer La Liga
Location: Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain
When: Saturday, March 14th, 9pm (20:00 GMT)
How to follow: Al Jazeera Sports live coverage starts at 17:00 Japan time
After stumbling and dismal performances in Spain’s La Liga in recent years, Real Madrid regained momentum with a big win in the UEFA Champions League in midweek.
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Now, La Liga’s record winners turn their focus back to catching league leaders and defending champions Barcelona in Spain’s top flight.
Elche arrived in Madrid with great concerns, sitting one place above the relegation zone.
Al Jazeera Sports has detailed coverage of this match.
What will happen in the La Liga title battle between Real Madrid and Barcelona?
Barcelona are four points behind Real, with both sides having played 27 games. Barça have won 22 games and lost 4, while Real have lost the same number but have only won 20 games and drawn two more than their rivals.
Barcelona will face 14th place Sevilla on Sunday, so if Real can beat Elche they could cut the gap to just one point.
How did Real Madrid perform in La Liga this season?
The turbulent era that marked the end of Xabi Alonso’s spell as Real manager has appeared to be returning in recent weeks, with Los Blancos suffering two defeats on the bounce in La Liga for the first time this season.
It was a tricky trip to Celta Vigo after losses to Osasuna and Getafe that put Real’s title challenge in jeopardy.
Goals from Aurelian Choameni and Federico Valverde secured a 2-1 win in Vigo last Friday, cutting the lead over leaders Barça to one point, but the Catalan club restored their advantage with a 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
Los Blancos have won 13 of their opening 14 games this season, dropping only a point in the Madrid derby, where they lost 5-2 to Atlético.
Two wins from the next eight games set the tone for the rest of Alonso’s time as manager, but even five wins on the bounce after that failed to save the former Real midfielder from the chop, and the end came after a 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.
Caretaker manager Álvaro Arbeloa got off to a tough start, suffering a humiliating 3-2 loss to Albacete in the Copa del Rey, but bounced back and won the next five league games, renewing hopes of catching up with Barcelona.
How did Elche do in La Liga this season?
Elche went undefeated in the opening seven games of this season, winning four of them in league play.
A seven-game winless run in La Liga has left the Alicante-based club in a relegation scrap.
Their recent winless record stretches to 11 games (10 in La Liga), with seven defeats and only four league points.
Eder Sarabia’s side are currently one point and one place above the bottom three, but are the only team yet to win away from home this season, losing nine of their 13 away games.
Finally, to Real Madrid
Real’s season received a welcome boost in midweek with a 3-0 victory over former Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16.
Valverde, who scored the winning goal against Vigo last weekend, completed his hat-trick in the first half to give Los Blancos a huge advantage heading into their return to Manchester.
Finally, go to Elche
Elche lost 2-1 to Villarreal in La Liga last Sunday, making it their fifth straight loss on the road.
The last four of those games were in league matches, but the trend started with the Copa del Rey defeat against Real Betis.
Leo Petro’s goal in the 58th minute gave Elche the lead, but Simy Avila’s double turned the game around.
Status attack – Elche
Elche have yet to keep a clean sheet in a league match this season. In 13 games on the road, they have conceded 26 goals, but on a more optimistic note, they have scored in all but two of those games.
What happened the last time Real Madrid played Elche?
Elche earned a valuable point in this season’s La Liga with a 2-2 draw against Real.
Aleix Febas and Álvaro Rodríguez gave the home team the lead twice, the latter scoring in the 84th minute, but for Los Blancos, Dean Huisen and Jude Bellingham equalized twice and Victor Chust was sent off for the home side in stoppage time.
What happened the last time Elche entertained Real Madrid?
Real won 3-0 in this match in October 2022, with goals from Federico Valverde, Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio.
Los Blancos came from behind to win 4-0 in the match played in February 2023.
When was the last time Elche beat Real Madrid?
It has been a long time since Elche claimed the spoils in this match, their last victory being a 3-1 win in 1978.
direct confrontation
The two teams have played each other 54 times, with Real winning 35 of them. Elche has won six times.
All six of Elche’s wins have come at home.
Real Madrid team news
Kylian Mbappé’s absence remains a major frustration for Real, with the French striker leading a long list of absentees.
There are big doubts about Ferland Mendy, who was forced off with an injury in the win over Manchester City.
The defender could join Mbappé, Eder Militao, Jude Bellingham, Dani Ceballos and Rodrygo on the sideline.
Franco Mastantuono is suspended, but Alvaro Carreras and David Alaba are nearing recovery from calf injuries.
Elche team news
Hector Fort, on loan from Barcelona, was ruled out with a shoulder injury.
Pedro Bigas and John Donald are both injury doubts and face late fitness tests.
Real Madrid predicted lineup
Courtois. Carvajal, Asensio, Huisén, F. Garcia. Valverde, Camavinga, Choameni. Guler; Vinicius, Brahim
Elche’s expected lineup
DiTuro; Chust, Affengruber, Petrotto. Josan, Phoebus, Aguado, Varela. Neto. A. Silva, Rodriguez
