With only ten rounds to go, the La Liga relegation battle continues to intensify with just a nine-point gap separating Espanyol in 19th and Celta Vigo in 10th heading into the weekend’s fixtures! Cádiz sit somewhere in the middle of that shake-up after a hugely impressive 2-0 win at Real Betis in their last outing.
Sergio González’s men now take their survival bid back home where they’ve lost just one of their last 11 league matches (W4, D6) and subsequently earned 18 of their 31 points this term. The visit of Real Madrid represents a huge threat to that positive record, but there’s plenty of reason for confidence at the Nuevo Mirandilla, as Cádiz have avoided defeat in three of the five H2H meetings since returning to the top-flight (W1, D2, L2).
Carlo Ancelotti’s men make the trip on the back of a comfortable 2-0 UEFA Champions League victory over Chelsea in midweek, meaning Los Blancos already have one foot in the semi-finals of a competition they are looking to retain. Progression in Europe has been crucial considering their domestic title defence is in tatters as the deficit to runaway leaders Barcelona grew to 13 points at the weekend following a 3-2 defeat at home to Villarreal, a match which saw them twice squander the lead.
Reducing the deficit – or even holding onto second place – now depends on an improvement on the road where Real have failed to win their last two games in the league. Ancelotti may have in the back of his mind the trip to Chelsea in midweek as Real seek to avoid going three away matches without a victory since the end of the 2018/19 season.
Players to watch: Cádiz midfielder Rubén Alcaraz is likely to be at the forefront of the action, as he’s scored or been yellow carded in five of his last eight appearances. If Ancelotti chooses to rotate after their European outing, Marco Asensio could be in line for start given that he directly contributes to a goal every 93 minutes in all competitions this term.
Hot stat: Real Madrid have scored in both halves of 13 of their league games this season, the most in Spain’s top-flight.
