The end of the season is rapidly approaching, and while Real Madrid only trail Barcelona by two points in La Liga, that gap seems wider with every passing match. Los Merengues need to try to win every league match from here on out to try to at least keep pace in the race to the finish, and will hope that their arch-rivals stumble at some point along the way.
Real Madrid vs. Málaga 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Los Merengues are in need of a win in order to, at minimum, keep pace with Barcelona in La Liga’s title race.
Sergio Camacho/Getty Images
Enter Malaga. They currently lie in seventh in the table, a perfectly respectable spot, but seem to stand little chance of finishing in a European qualifying place. Their role now is mostly to serve as spoiler, and what a wonderful chance they have to do just that today. Malaga are a good side, and if they can catch Real Madrid looking ahead to their midweek Champions League match, they could well pull off the upset.
Key player - Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)
While he’s been oft-maligned by segments of the Real Madrid fanbase, but with Karim Benzema out and Cristiano Ronaldo likely to be rested to some extent to help assure that Real’s attack is as ready as possible for the midweek, the onus of Madrid’s attack is almost certainly going to be on Bale. He’s certainly got the skill to get the job done, but his finishing touch hasn’t been quite up to par of late. Bale’s going to have to be better in this match to give Real as good a chance as possible at getting all three points.
Key Matchup - Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid) vs. Juanmi (Malaga)
If Ramos has had one weakness this season, it’s been with smaller, tricky players who are quick enough in tight spaces to keep him off balance. That’s Juanmi in a nutshell, who has a delightful level of skill and ability to change directions on the ball. He also happens to be Malaga’s leading scorer, so he stands the best chance at sparking a potential upset for his team.
Real Madrid injuries and suspensions
Out: Karim Benzema (knee) In doubt: none listed
Málaga injuries and suspensions
Out: Weligton (suspended), Ignacio Camacho (pelvis) In doubt: Luis Alberto (knee)
Madrid will have to go without their main man up front after Benzema hurt his knee against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and then limped back out of training later in the week. While Benzema hasn’t always been quite the elite goalscoring force some fans want him to be, he’s a vital part of Real’s attack for his ability to link play going forward. Malaga will have to try and fend off Real’s attack without two key parts of their defense with midfielder Camacho and center back Weligton both out, which will make keeping Real from scoring at will a lot harder.
Match Date/Time: Saturday, 2:00 p.m. ET, 8:00 p.m. local
Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
TV: beIN Sports (U.S. & Canada), Canal+ 1/HD (Spain), Sky Sports 5/HD (U.K.)
Online: beIN Sports Connect (U.S. & Canada), Sky Go (U.K.)
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