BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Real Madrid aims to bounce back from recession Shocking La Liga defeat That cost them the top spot in the league when they faced Getafe on Monday.
Madrid may not be able to rely on their star striker Kylian Mbappehas been sidelined due to a lingering knee injury.
Meanwhile, Barcelona have a tough game against Villarreal this weekend as they aim to make a big comeback and maintain their Copa del Rey title defense.
key match
Mbappe, who leads the league with 23 goals, missed Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Benfica, which took his team into the round of 16 of the Champions League.
But last weekend he was on the field in Pamplona when Osasuna beat Madrid 2-1. With this loss, Barcelona fell behind Madrid by one point after the 25th round.
Barcelona host third-placed Villarreal on Saturday. Three days earlier, they must overturn a 4-0 loss to Atlético Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final.
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Vinicius Junior has scored five goals in his last four games for Madrid. If Mbappé is still out, he will likely lead the attack against a consistently stiff Getafe defense.
Atlético Madrid’s new striker Ademola Lookman has scored four goals since joining from Atalanta in the winter transfer window. Fourth-placed Atlético host bottom-placed Real Oviedo on Saturday.
Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqui has scored 16 goals this season, second only to Mbappé in La Liga. However, the team sacked coach Jagoba Arrasate this week after falling into the relegation zone. They will play against Real Sociedad on Saturday.
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In addition to Mbappe, Madrid’s injured list also includes Jude Bellingham, Eder Militao and Dani Ceballos.
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