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Real Madrid made a poor start to the season but they have slowly got themselves back on the track in the last month or so. As we are nearing the business end of the season in terms of the number of fixtures, the challenge is certainly going to get harder because of the quality of the teams they will be facing. Real are set to face Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Ajax in a span of a month. Let's take a closer look at the roller coaster ride that the Madridistas are set to take:
Real Madrid vs Barcelona (Copa del Rey Semifinal)
Leg 1 - 6/7 Feb
Leg 2 - 27 Feb
Los Blancos will meet their arch-rivals in what promises to be a mouth-watering contest. El Clasico is the fixture where the world stops to see the spectacle of best players on the pitch competing for the ultimate prize of bragging rights. No matter what the competition is, an El Clasico is always a huge attraction for the fans. Top it with the chance to get further in the domestic cup, it makes the perfect recipe for a mouth-watering round of football. Last time these sides met in this competition, Gareth Bale scored a goal that shocked the world. He is fit and back in the squad and will certainly want to put on a similar performance this time around. Also, the last El Clasico ended with a humiliating scoreline of 5-1 against the Madrid based side so they will take extra motivation into the game.
Real Madrid won this competition four years ago and this trophy has eluded them since. They will take the field with the intention of ending that drought.
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid ( La Liga - 09 Feb) :
The Royal Whites will face their city rivals Atletico Madrid in less than 72 hours after the first leg of their Copa del Rey fixture against Barcelona. Atletico Madrid are higher in the league table and Real Madrid will want to close the gap by defeating them. This derby has quickly become one of the most exciting derbies in the world in the last decade. These teams have even played two UEFA Champions League finals against each other in the last five years with Los Blancos holding an upper hand in both of them. Atletico will certainly want to build an edge over their city rivals with their rock-solid defence against a Madrid side that doesn't look as frightening as the previous seasons. This fixture will also decide the fate of La Liga for both the teams. A defeat for Atletico will increase the gap with Barcelona while a defeat for Real Madrid will almost certainly end their league challenge.
Real Madrid vs Ajax (UEFA Champions League, Round of 16):
Leg 1 - 13/14 February
Leg 2 - 05/06 February
Real Madrid will find themselves in the competition they favour when they take on Dutch side Ajax. Even though Real Madrid have been the team to beat in the last few seasons of the competition, a youth centric club like Ajax is always tricky to handle in a knockout situation with talented youngsters like De Ligt, Tagliafico and David Neres waiting to seize the opportunity against the best players in business.
The Dutch side has been in good form lately and would take the challenge to Madrid. The 13-time champions will have to be in their best form and conditioning amidst other tough fixtures in La Liga and Copa del Rey to come out on top.
Real Madrid vs Barcelona (La Liga - 02/03 March):
Rarely does it happen that we get to see three El Clasicos in the span of a month. This fixture could be made more interesting depending upon the outcome of Copa del Rey round. Currently, Barcelona are on the top of La Liga standings and Madrid are placed third. If Madrid manage to close the gap, this fixture can play an important role in deciding the league title.
Other fixtures in this duration:
Real Madrid will face Girona and Levante in La Liga. These fixtures will be tricky for the Los Blancos as most of the first team players are expected to be rested for tougher fixtures and their bench strength will be tested heavily. The position of Madrid in the table doesn't give them a chance to take any game in the league lightly. It will be interesting to see how Solari rotates his players to keep them fresh for other fixtures.
So Madridistas, mark your calendars and get ready with your bowl of popcorn for an adventurous month of football, that may well decide the club's season.
