Real Madrid Look To Win La Liga Before Manchester City Return

Real Madrid will win La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday if they avoid defeat against Espanyol as Carlo Ancelotti's side look to secure the Spanish title before facing Manchester City in the Champions League next week. Madrid sit 15 points clear of Barcelona and Sevilla in La Liga, meaning they need just one more point from their remaining five league games to be crowned champions for the 35th time.

Given they have been top since November, there will be no surprise about Madrid clinching a league they have dominated for months, but dips in form from Barcelona and Sevilla have offered the chance for an earlier confirmation than expected.

Sealing La Liga could also give Madrid a welcome boost ahead of the second leg of their semi-final against City on Wednesday, when they will need to retrieve a 4-3 loss from the opening game in Manchester last week to advance to another European final.

"The trophy is so close," Ancelotti said in a press conference on Friday. "The players only talk about tomorrow's game since the end of the City match. We have a match point and when the best tennis players have a match point, they win it."

The likelihood is Ancelotti will rotate his starting team against Espanyol, keeping the return leg against Manchester City in mind.

Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Vinicius Junior could be among those given a rest while some changes will also be forced, with David Alaba struggling with an injury as Eder Militao and Nacho Fernandez are both suspended.

"We have some defensive problems," Ancelotti said. "I will have to pick Jesus Vallejo, who has not played very much but who has always been a complete professional, and another central defender, which could be Casemiro."

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