Real Madrid head into their first match of the new year two points and a game in hand in arrears of La Liga leaders Barcelona, with the pressure steadily ratcheting up on coach Rafael Benítez. Despite the talent at his disposal, Madrid have played rather predictable football so far, with a defeat to Villarreal at El Madrigal in December the latest blow. Nevertheless, they'll be optimistic of closing the gap to the Catalan table-toppers with a win away at struggling Valencia on Sunday.
Real Madrid vs. Valencia 2016 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch La Liga online
Valencia coach Gary Neville will be hoping to avoid a hammering at the hands of Real Madrid on Sunday.
Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images
The risk Valencia took in hiring managerial rookie Gary Neville early in December is yet to pay dividends, with the Englishman still looking for his first La Liga victory. He drew his first two fixtures, before suffering a 1-0 defeat away at Villarreal on Thursday. In that game he experimented with a defensive back three formation, though it didn't pay off. Given that he still seems to be unsure of his best team, he'll surely be worried about suffering a heavy defeat at the hands of Madrid on Sunday.
Key player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
It hasn’t been a great season for Real Madrid, but that hasn’t stopped Cristiano Ronaldo from racking up the goals. Indeed, only Barcelona striker Luis Suárez has scored more often in La Liga so far. Ronaldo has still got the individual quality to win games almost single-handedly, and Madrid could well end up relying on the Portuguese star to make the difference again at the Mestalla.
Recent history
Real Madrid are surprisingly winless in their last three matches against Valencia, and lost 2-1 on their last visit to the Mestalla back in January. However, Valencia's recent good run against Los Merengues has been something of an anomaly: prior to 2014, they'd not won one of these fixtures since a 3-0 victory in 2009. Given recent form, it looks unlikely they'll be able to extend their unbeaten run on Sunday.
Valencia injuries and suspensions
Out: None. In doubt: Enzo Pérez (thigh); Rodrigo, Diego Alves (knee); José Gayá, Zakaria Bakkali (groin); Sofiane Feghouli (foot); Shkodran Mustafi (hamstring).
Real Madrid injuries and suspensions
Out: None. In doubt: Dani Carvajal (thigh); Sergio Ramos (leg).
Valencia have no confirmed absentees, though they do have long list of first-team faces doubtful. Neville will be hoping to welcome a few of them back into the matchday squad after they missed the defeat to Villarreal, though it’s likely most will still be watching from the stands. Madrid’s injury problems are rather less serious: their only doubts heading into the game are defenders Carvajal and Ramos, who are both believed to be on the brink of a return to action.
Match date/time: Sun., Jan. 3, 2:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m. local
Venue: Estadio Mestalla, Valencia, Spain
TV: beIN Sports (US and Canada - English); beIN Sports en Español (US and Canada - Spanish); Sky Sports 3/HD (UK)
Online: beIN Sports Connect (US and Canada); fuboTV (US); Sky Go (UK)
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