Preview: Real Madrid looks to consolidate lead in Valladolid

MADIRD, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Real Madrid has an excellent chance to consolidate itself as La Liga leader on Saturday when it makes the short trip to play Valladolid in the 21st round of matches in La Liga.

Meanwhile, second placed Atletico Madrid has a difficult home game against Villarreal, and Barcelona is at home to face an improving Valencia.

Although Real Madrid is without the suspended Vinicius Jr and Luka Modric and the injured Eduardo Camavinga, the team is a clear favorite to take all three points from the visit to the team struggling at the bottom of the table and who has conceded 39 goals in 20 games.

The only doubt Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will have ahead of Saturday's game is if he should rest players ahead of next week's Champions League visit to play Brest, where his side has a slim chance of claiming a top-eight finish and direct qualification for the last-16 of the competition.

Atletico Madrid has a much more difficult task, with fifth place Villarreal traveling to the Metropolitano Stadium.

Atletico coach Diego Simeone has to answer the same question as Ancelotti as his side is currently sixth in the Champions League, but needs a win in Salzburg in its last game to ensure a place in the last-16.

Alexander Sorloth is an injury doubt for Atletico, while defender Javi Galan is suspended against Villarreal, who has an excellent attack with Gerard Moreno, Ayose Perez, Yeremy Pino and Alex Baena and who brushed past Mallorca 4-0 on Monday night.

Barcelona plays on Sunday night at home to a Valencia side that moved off the bottom of the table last weekend and who's improving under new coach Carlos Corberan.

Barca produced a thrilling recovery to win 5-4 away to Benfica on Tuesday and book its place in the last-16 of the Champions League, but its league form has been dreadful in recent weeks, with four defeats, three draws and just one win in its last eight La Liga matches.

Flick's men need to resolve their domestic problems if they are to have any chance of challenging Real and Atletico and if they fail to beat Valencia, they could lose third place in La Liga if Athletic Club Bilbao wins at home to Leganes.

Athletic is fourth and level on points with Barca, but needs to bounce back from a chastening Europa League defeat to Besiktas and the loss of midfielder Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta with his second muscle injury of 2025.

Top scorer Oihan Sancet could return against a rival whose moral is sky high after beating both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

The weekend kicks off with Las Palmas and Osasuna both looking to return to winning ways, with Osasuna eight games without a league win, while consecutive defeats have dropped Las Palmas back into the battle against relegation.

Mallorca remains sixth despite three defeats in its last four matches and it will test a Betis side that looks to be slipping towards crisis and with a long injury list including Chimy Avila, Hector Bellerin and Gio Lo Celso, which isn't helping coach Manuel Pellegrini.

Espanyol travels to play Sevilla needing points to climb out of the bottom three and placing faith in forward, Javi Puado, while Rayo Vallecano looks to extend its six-game unbeaten run and looks to challenge for a top-six spot when it faces Girona, whose Champions League dreams were ended on Wednesday with a 1-0 defeat to AC Milan.

The round of matches closes on Monday as Alaves aims to build on last weekend's win away to Betis at home to a Celta Vigo side missing striker Iago Aspas. ■