Celta Vigo boss Luis Enrique will be looking to do his old and probably new club a favour when his charges host Real Madrid, as well as extend their winning run to four matches. Los Blancos are four points adrift of the top of the standings after sharing spoils with Real Valladolid, but they aim to try and keep their slim title hopes alive by winning at Balaidos.

Top table finish on the cards

Barcelona-bound Luis Enrique needed a while to get the best out of his squad at Balaidos, with Celta spending much of the opening exchanges in and around the La Liga bottom three. However, the team started showing improvement as the season unfolded and they have been in excellent form since the turn of the year. The Sky Blues went on to win 9 of 19 matches in 2014 to not only secure La Liga survival, but also climb to the top half of the league standings. And they have been especially impressive during the final stretch of the season, defeating Almeria, Real Valladolid and Osasuna in their last three matches. Celta will now give their best to keep their place in the top 10 in the final two fixtures of the league campaign, with home clash against mighty Real Madrid the perfect opportunity to show how far they have come this term. With the hosts in stunning form at the moment and their opponents weakened and under a lot of pressure, you shouldn’t be surprised if the Sky Blues get something from this match.

Rafinha Alcantara is expected to return from a foot problem, but Hugo Mallo remains on the sidelines. Barcelona graduate Nolito will continue to lead the line after scoring 7 goals in last 4 league matches.

Title slipping out of grasp

Real Madrid fans were in dreamland after los Blancos recorded a 4-0 triumph over Bayern Munich at Alianz Arena to set up a Champions League final clash against local rivals Atletico Madrid, especially as Carlo Ancelotti’s men were also in a very good position to win the La Liga trophy. Little did they know that the league title hopes will go up in smoke in the space of just seven days. And while los Blancos could not be satisfied with the 2-2 home draw with Valencia, the late goal Cristiano Ronaldo scored to salvage one point could have proved crucial if it hadn’t been for the 1-1 draw at Real Valladolid. Following the second successive slip up, Real Madrid sit four points behind leaders Atletico ahead of the final two games, so they clearly have little to hope for at the moment. The confidence will be low after the Valladolid clash, and even if Cristiano Ronaldo is eager to be involved, he will not be at his best due to his muscle problems. And with important defender Pepe also missing, Real Madrid could find it hard to defeat in-form Celta Vigo.

Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo should return, but Pepe is definitely out and Daniel Carvajal faces a fitness test.

Verdict

Celta Vigo have been quite impressive of late and they should be very motivated to pour more misery on Real Madrid and end the season on a high. Meanwhile, los Blancos are going through a very rough patch at the moment and with key players either injured or not fully fit, I am not sure they can win at Balaidos.

Top pick: Celta Vigo +1.5 Asian handicap   1.76 (19/25) @ BetVictor

Alternative pick 1: Both teams to score   1.72 (18/25) @ 888sport

Alternative pick 2: Draw   5.50 (9/2) @ Unibet