Real Madrid and Osasuna face La Liga matchday 33 with one eye on the Copa del Rey final, to be played on Saturday, while Barcelona seeks to take another step towards the title.
The Barcelona team can benefit today when they receive an Osasuna, who will not be able to avoid having part of their attention in the crucial final on May 6.
Osasuna has returned to a Cup final for the first time since they lost against Betis in 2005, but today at the Camp Nou they will also continue fighting for their dream of reaching the European zone of the Spanish championship.
Barça faces the lively match after the resounding 4-0 victory over Betis on Saturday, which has provided a new injection of morale after the stumble in Vallecas.
“It is a very important step (towards the League), it was vital to react,” Barça coach Xavi Hernández said after the match against Betis.
The Catalans lead the Spanish championship with eleven points ahead of Real Madrid with 18 points remaining to play at the start of this 32nd league day.
The whites will visit a complicated Real Sociedad, which is defending its fourth place in the league and its presence in the next Champions League.
The meringues go to San Sebastián, like Osasuna, with an eye on the Copa del Rey final, a title they have not won since 2014, almost a decade ago.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti has reiterated that Real Madrid will continue to fight as long as there are games, although he does not hide that reaching Barcelona seems complicated.
Ancelotti has already warned that he will continue to rotate players in the match against Real Sociedad: “I have the idea of resting players on Tuesday, those who are tired.”
Added to this are the injuries to Modric, Alaba and Mendy injured and the penalties for Camavinga and Vinicius, so Ancelotti will resort to the less usual in San Sebastián.
Real Madrid is also close to Atlético de Madrid, which hosts Cádiz tomorrow and does not lose hope of ending the season in second place in the standings.
Regarding today’s game, Carlo Ancelotti assured that “it does not make sense” to play at 10:00 pm, at the Reale Arena, when they have the final of the Copa del Rey on Saturday, adding that they must face this “difficult game”. and that they are in good time.
“We have a demanding match, we play against a great team and we are out due to injury and suspension. Difficult match, schedule that doesn’t make sense, but it’s what we have to do. We are going to San Sebastián with all the desire in the world to play a good game ”, he assured at a press conference.
Despite the calendar, he believes that his team is in a good physical moment. “We reached the Cup final and the Champions League semifinals in good physical condition. Tomorrow’s problem is normal these days. We have a strong rival and we have to show the best we have”, he added, thinking of Real Sociedad.
Asked by Vinicius Jr, who will not play due to a suspension for a yellow cycle, and if he should see a red card if he protests to the referees again as “learning”, he laughed it off. “It lacks only one red, too. With all the yellow cards he has had, I think it’s enough, ”he argued.
In sports, he believes that both Vini Jr. and Rodrygo are improving, although he believes that in the future the club should sign a pure center forward. “I think that in the future of the club they have to sign a ‘9’ because Karim (Benzema) is his age, but as long as he continues in this condition we don’t think about this, because the forward line is working very well. Rodrygo, Vinicius, Asensio have progressed… The problem these two years has not been the lead, ”he stressed. / With AFP and Europa Press