Real Madrid have the chance to climb to the top of the La Liga table on Saturday afternoon when they take on neighbours Rayo Vallecano at Vallecas.
Los Blancos have made up what appeared to be an insurmountable gap on Barcelona in recent weeks and can usurp their rivals, for a few hours at least, with victory in the Spanish capital.
Rayo Vallecano
With just a handful of games left to play this season, Rayo still find themselves in a battle to avoid the drop in what is their fifth campaign back at this level.
The Vallecans have certainly made themselves tough to beat in recent months, losing just three of their last 15 games since the turn of the year to remain just about afloat.
Eight of those games have ended all square, however, six of which have been by the same 2-2 scoreline, suggesting that Los Franjirrojos could just drag themselves to safety over the final stretch.
It will not be easy for Paco Jemez's side, though, as they now face back-to-back games against fellow Madrid sides Real and Atletico before taking on Real Sociedad and Levante in their final two matches, the latter of which could potentially be a relegation shootout.
The biggest problem for Vallecano this term has been shutting out the opposition, as highlighted by their incredible run of four-goal draws of late, with no other side in the division conceding more than their tally of 66 goals this term.
Real will still be wary of their rivals, though, knowing that fourth-placed Villarreal slipped up here in Rayo's last home fixture, although Atletico and Barcelona found life far easier at Vallecas on their own visits.
Overall Jemez's charges have a mixed home record, claiming 25 points from their 17 games to date to leave them sitting in mid-table in that regard, but away from home points have been harder to come by.
Yet despite their positive enough recent form, which has left them seventh in the table based on the last six games alone, an alarming inability to keep out opponents could lead to a real goalfest on Saturday evening.
Recent form in La Liga: DDWLWD
Real Madrid
© AFP
The gap on runaway leaders Barcelona may have stood at 10 points heading into April, but since triumphing against the odds in El Clasico it has largely been contrasting fortunes for both teams.
Barca did manage to return to winning ways in some style against Espanyol in midweek, yet three defeats on the spin prior to that has left the door wide open for both Real and Atletico to pounce in this intriguing final stretch.
The Catalan giants now have a favourable run of fixtures to see out the campaign, but Zinedine Zidane will urge his players to continue their own superb run of form in the hope that there is one more slip-up to come elsewhere.
This could well be a pivotal weekend in the title run-in, as once again all three sides in the hunt at the top face off within hours of each other - Madrid kicking things off against Vallecano before Atletico and Barca host Malaga and Sporting Gijon respectively.
Los Blancos will be focused solely on their own job, however, knowing that a run of 10 wins in their last 11 games in all competitions has made them one of European football's fiercest forces once again.
That has not been the case all season, of course, as a disappointing run under Rafael Benitez led to the arrival of club legend Zidane at the start of the year where, after a fairly sluggish start on the whole, it has since been all systems go.
While neighbours Rayo have badly struggled to keep out goals, it has been another special campaign for Los Blancos' forward trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema, who have each contributed to the club's league-high tally of 101 strikes this term.
Ronaldo is largely to thank for that, taking his own personal count up to 47 for the season earlier this week, yet the return of Bale from injury will also be a big plus this weekend.
Finishing either second or third will count little for Zidane in the grand scheme of things come the end of the season, so he will now be determined to end his first senior managerial campaign with silverware, whether that be domestically or in Europe.
Recent form in La Liga: WWWWWW
Recent form (all competitions): WLWWWW
Team News
© Getty Images
Bale has handed the hosts a major boost by returning to training, having been ruled out of the win against Villarreal due to a niggling back issue.
The Welshman will likely take the place of Lucas Vazquez out wide, while Ronaldo is also expected to start after allaying some injury concerns of his own after that latest victory.
In terms of the visiting side, Vallecano have a number of players on the sidelines, including Portuguese defender Ze Castro who left the field prior to half time in midweek.
Raul Baena found the net for Rayo in their 1-1 draw at Malaga, and the defensive midfielder is likely to have a key role to play on Saturday as he attempts to keep the opposition out.
Former Cardiff City striker Javi Guerra will lead the line, meanwhile, aiming to build on his impressive tally of 11 goals for the strugglers this season.
Rayo Vallecano possible starting lineup:
Juan Carlos, Quini, Amaya, Llorente, Tito, Hernandez, Baena, Trashorras, Embarba, Miku, Guerra
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Keylor Navas, Danilo, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo, Kroos, Casemiro, Modric, Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo
Head To Head
Real, who have won each of their last eight games heading into this one, ran riot when these two sides last met back in December by putting 10 goals past their opponents in a 10-2 thrashing.
The Vallecanos may have been down to nine men inside the opening 30 minutes at the Bernabeu, but the match had an air of inevitability about it from the moment Danilo found the net just three minutes in.
Madrid have won 24 and lost just six of the 38 meetings overall, scoring 25 goals and conceding five in the last five of those encounters since 2013.
We say: Rayo Vallecano 0-5 Real Madrid
Anything is possible in La Liga at this time of the season, as Barcelona have found out over recent weeks. As December's meeting between these teams shows, though, any upsets will likely take place away from the Spanish capital this weekend, with the division's highest scorers easing to victory against a side holding claim to the league's leakiest defence.
No Data Analysis info
