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NederlandReal Madrid will be looking to make it three victories in a row in all competitions when they continue their La Liga campaign away to Celta Vigo on Saturday afternoon.
Los Blancos are currently third in the table, six points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, while Celta occupy 10th position, having picked up 34 points from their 27 league games this term.
Match preview
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Celta's form in the early stages of the campaign was disappointing as they struggled towards the bottom of the table, but a change in fortunes in recent months has left them up in 10th position in the division, picking up 34 points from 27 matches to sit comfortably clear of the relegation zone.
The Sky Blues are currently 11 points clear of the bottom three, while they are only six points off the top seven and should therefore be looking up the division rather than down at this stage.
Eduardo Coudet's side will bring a three-match unbeaten run into Saturday's contest, having drawn with Real Valladolid and Athletic Bilbao, and beaten Huesca, since a 2-0 loss at Valencia on February 20.
Celta have actually only lost one of their last eight in Spain's top flight, but they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Madrid in the reverse league match earlier this season, while Zinedine Zidane's team ran out 3-1 winners when the two teams last locked horns in Vigo in August 2019.
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Madrid, meanwhile, will enter this weekend's match off the back of a 3-1 victory over Atalanta BC in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League contest, which saw the Spanish champions advance 4-1 on aggregate.
Karim Benzema, Sergio Ramos and Marco Asensio were all on the scoresheet against the Italian club, and Zidane's key players appear to be finding their best form at a vital stage of the campaign.
Los Blancos have drawn two of their last three in the league, but a 2-1 win over Elche last weekend moved them onto 57 points, leaving them in third position, six points behind leaders Atletico.
Diego Simeone's team are no longer comfortable at the top, with Barca just four points behind in second, and there is a three-way title race developing, which did not look to be the case earlier this year.
Madrid will face Celta and Eibar in back-to-back league games before hosting Barca on April 10, and it could still be a very successful end to the season for the club despite their issues this term.
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Team News
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Celta will again be without the services of Ruben Blanco, Emre Mor and Sergio Alvarez through injury this weekend, but Hugo Mallo is available, having served a one-game ban against Athletic.
Mallo should return to the back four at right-back, but it could otherwise be the same side that started last time out, with Denis Suarez and Renato Tapia operating in the middle of the park.
Iago Aspas is a certain starter in the final third of the field, with Santi Mina expected to join him once again, while Nolito and Brais Mendez should feature in the wide positions.
As for Madrid, Dani Carvajal, Alvaro Odriozola and Mariano Diaz are again absent through injury, while Eden Hazard has picked up another muscular problem and is facing a period on the sidelines.
Sergio Ramos has also been left out of the squad due to a tibia issue, meaning that Nacho could start alongside Raphael Varane at the heart of the defence.
Casemiro is available for selection, having missed out against Atalanta through suspension, and the Brazilian should return to the starting side, with Federico Valverde potentially dropping out of the midfield.
A change to a 4-3-3 formation could also allow Asensio to return to the front three alongside Vinicius Junior and Benzema, leaving Rodrygo Goes and Isco as options from the bench.
Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:
Villar; Mallo, Araujo, Murillo, Martin; Mendez, Tapia, D Suarez, Nolito; Mina, Aspas
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Vazquez, Varane, Nacho, Mendy; Kroos, Casemiro, Modric; Vinicius, Benzema, Asensio
We say: Celta Vigo 1-2 Real Madrid
Celta are more than capable of beating Madrid, and Zidane will be wary of suffering a Champions League hangover on Saturday afternoon. As a result, the Frenchman is expected to resist the temptation to make wholesale changes, and the champions should have enough to pick up all three points in Vigo.
