So much for Real Madrid's easy schedule. Los Blancos will face Atlético de Madrid in the Copa del Rey's next round, starting at the Calderón on January 7th, that is three days after visiting Mestalla to play against Valencia. Furthermore, whichever team that wins that tie will likely face Barcelona, as the Catalans will be facing Elche in the next round of the Spanish competition.
January could be a very important month for Ancelotti and his men. They should try to make some rotations during the Copa del Rey even against Atlético de Madrid in order to stay focused and avoid dropping points in the race for the Liga BBVA title. After all, Real Madrid won last season's Copa del Rey, and it would be far more important to conquer the league title this year.
It will be very interesting to see how Ancelotti manages his team during this tough, busy January schedule for his side.