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We’re approaching the business end of the season and that usually means one thing; trophies being won by Real Madrid.
Los Blancos may not be in contention for the La Liga title thanks to Barcelona’s consistent form, but they did beat their great rivals to reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals and remain well in the hunt for the Champions League after a comfortable 2-0 win over Chelsea in the quarter-final first leg.
Here’s who Carlo Ancelotti and his squad have got coming up in their imminent fixture list.
Real’s first piece of business to attend to following the first leg with Chelsea is a trip to Andalusia to take on 14th placed Cadiz.
With Barcelona 13 points ahead in the La Liga title race, it’s all about consolidating second place ahead of Atletico Madrid for Real.
Real’s last trip to Stamford Bridge ended in a resounding 3-1 win in April 2022, though they nearly threw that advantage away in the second leg before securing a a 5-4 aggregate victory.
Interim Blues boss Frank Lampard will be taking on his old manager Carlo Ancelotti – the pair previously squared off twice in the Premier League when Ancelotti was in charge at Everton – but will need a miracle if he is to stop Real from advancing.
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Everything was going swimmingly for Real at the start of the season. Los Blancos enjoyed nine straight wins to open up the campaign, with a 4-1 triumph coming at Abanca-Balaidos in August.
Vinicius Junior and Luka Modric starred that day with a goal and an assist each, while Karim Benzema and Federico Valverde also got on the scoresheet.
A draw and a defeat in the space of four days in November helped turn Real from title contenders to outsiders.
A 70th minute strike from Vinicius looked to have given Real all three points against Girona in late October, but Cristhian Stuani’s penalty saw the visitors earn a point. Ancelotti’s side would suffer a 3-2 defeat at Rayo Vallecano a few days later.
David Alaba’s stock has fallen a little since the turn of the year, with Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger commanding minutes at the heart of Real’s defence.
The Austria star was the match-winner last time out against Almeria, however, scoring a minute after his introduction after Lucas Vazquez had cancelled out Largie Ramazani’s opener.
Two Real clubs will duke it out at the start of May when Sociedad host Madrid at Reale Seguros Stadium.
Sociedad haven’t played in the Champions League since 2013/14 but are firm contenders to collect fourth spot with Villarreal and Real Betis also in contention.
When are the Champions League semi-finals?
Should Real Madrid overcome Chelsea on aggregate after two legs, they’ll take part in the Champions League semi-finals against Manchester City or Bayern Munich, most likely the former after their 3-0 first leg win.
The semi-finals from Real’s side of the draw will take place on May 10 and May 17, though final official confirmation will be made later on those dates.
