BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — After losing streakReal Madrid will be looking to get back on track to winning La Liga as they face their new European rival.
Madrid suffered a 2-1 defeat against Osasuna and a 1-0 defeat against lower-ranked Getafe at their home stadium, Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, resulting in consecutive La Liga losses.
On Friday, they will look to make a comeback against Celta Vigo, trailing leaders Barcelona by four points.
“In a team like Real Madrid, defeat is always difficult to handle because of the expectations and demands, but right now we are only thinking about tomorrow’s game,” coach Alvaro Arbeloa said on Thursday. “That’s the only concern for us.”
After the game against Celta, Arbeloa’s team can fully concentrate on next week’s home game against Manchester City for the start of the Champions League Round of 16.
Madrid and City meet They have reached the knockout stages in each of the past four years, with Madrid coming through at the expense of Josep Guardiola’s side in the last two. However, City have already defeated Madrid in the regular season this season.
key match
Madrid will face a tough Celta side, who have already pulled off a stunning 2-0 upset in the capital this season. Celta, who are in 6th place, have won four consecutive games in the league and the Europa League.
Barcelona will also face Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, but it will be a difficult match. Both teams were eliminated in this week’s Copa del Rey semifinals. Barcelona lost to Atletico Madrid, while Athletic lost to Basque rivals Real Sociedad.
Next week, Barcelona will visit Newcastle in the Champions League final.
Featured players
Barcelona midfielder Marc Bernal, who spent much of last season injured, may be the latest talent to emerge from the squad. Bernal, 18, scored twice in Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Atletico, but it wasn’t enough to overturn a 4-0 defeat in the Copa semi-final first leg.
Activity suspended
Kylian Mbappé, Madrid’s striker and top scorer in the league, is out with a sprained left knee. Jude Bellingham is out with a left thigh injury, and Rodrigo will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
“I talk to him every day,” Arbeloa said of Mbappe. “Every day he’s getting better. It’s a process we’re working on every day.”
Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski missed the game against Atletico due to a facial fracture.
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