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With only three more games before the league ends, Los Blancos have done just what they had to do since they were defeated in the last Clásico at the Camp Nou. Seven consecutive victories have made them reach La Liga's Day 36 only two points below FC Barcelona, who only lost two points at Sevilla's Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán a couple weeks ago. It is a short gap but, with only three games to go, Real Madrid are almost in the need of a miracle to be champions.
David Moyes is a tactical genius. http://t.co/uuN6TA1b6b
— Managing Madrid (@managingmadrid) enero 4, 2015
We must trust our luck if David Moyes is involved: he did it once and he can do it again. The culés will receive Real Sociedad tomorrow, at 18:00 CET, and so Real Madrid players will know if they will have a chance to overtake them on the league table when their match against Valencia starts, just two hours later. In any case, Los Blancos will need to do their best to get a good result against Nuno's men, who beat us back in January as well.
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As coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed today, the lads are fit and nobody will need to be rested because of the Champions League double clash against Juventus and so rotations, if any, will only depend on what he thinks is best to beat Valencia. Reports from Spanish press indicate that Ancelotti is not pleased with Carvajal and Marcelo's recent performances, and so either or both of them could be substituted by Arbeloa and Coentrao. It is not clear either if Sergio Ramos will go back to the defence or he will feature as a midfielder instead. Karim Benzema, who is recovered from his injury, will have some gametime, but his presence in the lineup has not been confirmed.
Tomorrow's game is especially important for Valencia as well. They will need a victory to keep fighting Atlético, who are four points ahead of them, for a third place which gives direct access to the Champions League group stage, and to stay ahead of Sevilla in the fight for the fourth place, which qualifies its holder for the Champions League playoffs in August. This, together with the usual hatred Real Madrid awakes in Valencia, will make them put everything they may have inside them to beat us.
For sure Nuno Espírito Santo, one of the best coaches in this season's La Liga, will have some tactics particularly designed to beat Real Madrid, just like the 3-5-2 system he used against back in January. Former Real Madrid players Dani Parejo and Álvaro Negredo will need to be watched carefully, like their bright youngster José Luis Gayà, whose signing for Los Blancos seems to have got impossible with his recent contract extension.