Real Madrid were stunned by Valencia in the league in their first game after the winter break, then stunned again by rivals Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey, but they’ve recovered nicely in La Liga. Los Merengues have won their last four in a row, and they’ll go four points clear at the top if they can beat Sevilla in the makeup game for the one missed while they were at the Club World Cup.
Real Madrid vs. Sevilla live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch La Liga online
Sevilla will provide a big test for Real Madrid on Wednesday, but if Los Merengues can grab all three points, they’ll be four clear of Barcelona at the top.
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Sevilla were keeping pace with the title contenders for a while, but have recently dropped off a bit. Still, they’ve won four of their last five, and they look like slight favorites for fourth place at the moment, though Villarreal and Valencia are presenting some stiff competition.
Over the weekend, Sevilla made the risky decision to rest some stars, leaving a number of their top players out of the 18-man squad. It worked, but only just barely. They needed an 89th minute goal from Iago Aspas to beat Espanyol, even though the Catalan side went down to 10 men in the 40th minute.
Key player - Isco (Real Madrid)
In Cristiano Ronaldo's absence, Isco's creativity has been even more important to Los Merengues. While Ronaldo can often create goals by himself, the rest of the team benefits from being set up by someone with Isco's technical qualities. He's not rumored to be heading for the exit door anymore -- Isco is becoming key to how Real Madrid play. He might even keep his place when both Ronaldo and Luka Modric are healthy.
Key matchup - Grzegorz Krychowiak (or Daniel Carriço) vs. Gareth Bale
Sevilla defensive midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak didn't play over the weekend, but isn't listed as injured and was likely just rested for this match. He'll need to be at his best to keep Gareth Bale in check, though he's likely happy that he's trying to deny space and service to the Welshman, rather than the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo.
Real Madrid injuries and suspensions
Out: Cristiano Ronaldo (suspended), Luka Modric (hamstring), Fabio Coentrao (foot), Pepe (rib).
Sevilla injuries and suspensions
Out: Kevin Gameiro (groin), Jose Antonio Reyes (hamstring), Moi (toe), Benoit Tremoulinas (knee), Sebastian Cristoforo (knee). In doubt: Nicolas Pareja (hamstring), Piotr Trochowski (knee).
Match date/time: Wednesday, 3 p.m. ET, 9 p.m. local
Venue: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
TV: beIN Sports (U.S. and Canada), Sky Sports 1 (U.K.), Canal+ (Spain)
Online: beIN Sports Connect (U.S. and Canada), Sky Go (U.K.), Canal+ Yomvi (Spain)
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