'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Real Madrid host Villarreal in the final home game of the La Liga season in a game that could potentially crown them champions.
Regardless of what Barcelona do in the other match, a victory for Los Blancos would seal the title with one fixture still to go.
It might not be so straight-forward a match against a Villarreal side fighting to secure a Europa League spot, but Javier Calleja's men have been inconsistent lately.
With the context defined, let's look at the major talking points ahead of the potential title-decider.
Will the Whites finish with perfect home record?
This is the last 'home' game of Real Madrid's season in La Liga and there's another piece of history awaiting. Should they avoid a defeat to the Yellow Submarine on Thursday, the Whites will boast an unbeaten record at home for the league campaign.
It may appear to be something of a normal occurrence, but let me remind you, they haven't pulled it off since the 2012/13 season!
Of the 18 games that Real Madrid have hosted so far, 14 have ended in victories, with just four draws. Given the circumstances of the title race, Zidane won't be eyeing anything but a win here too.
And even though the significance of the record is little considering the larger scheme of things, its still a nice one to write into the history books.
Benzema to close in on the Pichichi trophy?
Karim Benzema's importance to Real Madrid in the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era cannot be overstated. Even as the side went through the motions last year, he was firing on all cylinders and this season too, the Blancos' No.9 has been top notch.
With 19 goals under his belt, he's been instrumental to the team's fortunes in the title race and now finds himself on the brink of another silverware.
Benzema is just three behind Lionel Messi in the race for La Liga's Golden Boot. Its a tough ask to net four times in the last two games, especially considering the Barcelona ace may add to his own tally, but there's still a chance.
The latter has been dropping really deep these days and creating more, whereas the French star has continued to fire since the restart, scoring five from nine games.
Deserving Real Madrid's moment to seal the deal
From finishing with the lowest points tally in over a decade to contending for the title again, Real Madrid has certainly come a long way from the catastrophe of last year.
Now, a victory on Thursday would confirm Zidane and Co. as champions for the 2019-20 season, and for a record-extending 34th time in history.
Even though Los Blancos could draw the final two games and still be champions owing to the superior head-to-head record to rivals Barcelona, the Frenchman is determined to pick up the maximum available points from the remaining games and finish the season like a champion.
Fifth-placed Villarreal are no pushovers - they held Real Madrid in the reverse fixture - but the prospect of clinching the title is motivation enough chase all three points on the night.
