A week ago, Real Madrid were riding high after winning El Clasico in a shock upset of Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Just seven days later, the Madridistas are reeling after getting battered by Wolfsburg in the Champions League, with their squad beat up and their momentum suddenly halted. Now they face a visit from Eibar, with a desperate need for a resounding win.
Real Madrid vs. Eibar 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
After getting their heads handed to them in the Champions League, the Madridistas need to get back on track in a bad way.
Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images
Perhaps fortunately for Madrid, Eibar come into this match in poor form -- they’ve gone seven matches without a win, and haven’t scored more than one goal in a match since February. Still, Madrid can’t afford to let their guard down, because too many times we’ve seen the underdog in this kind of situation come up with a huge performance to steal a win. Real Madrid can ill afford to take that kind of upset right now, but unless they bounce back strongly they could be at risk.
Key player -- Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)
One of the few players who had a decent performance against Wolfsburg, Bale’s importance will be even greater in this match. Eibar do a lot of things decently, but they don’t have the ability to deal with his speed very effectively in defense, which could create a lot of opportunities for Real Madrid to wreak havoc in the final third. If they can take full advantage of that, then they should have a very good chance of getting the win they so dearly need.
Key matchup -- Pepe (Real Madrid) vs. Borja Baston Gonzalez (Eibar)
Baston is Eibar’s leading scorer by a long ways right now, and his combination of size and skill on the ball creates a tremendous problem for the aging Pepe, especially with Sergio Ramos out via suspension. If Baston can get the better of him early and often, it’s going to make life very difficult for Real Madrid’s defense -- and they can ill afford any degree of problems on the back line right now given recent play and their current situation with their defensive leader in Ramos sitting on the sidelines.
Real Madrid injuries and suspensions
Out: Sergio Ramos In doubt: Karim Benzema, Raphael Varane
Eibar injuries and suspensions
Out: Mauro, Jaime Jimenez In doubt: Josip Radosevic, Borja Ekiza
Match Date/Time: Sat., 10 a.m. ET, 4 p.m. local
Venue: Estadio Santiago Benabeu, Madrid, Spain
TV: beIN Sports (U.S. - English), beIN Sports en Español (U.S. - Spanish), Canal+ Liga/HD, Movistar TV Futbol (Spain)
Online: beIN Sports Connect, fuboTV (U.S.)
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