Real Madrid can move up to third in La Liga if they beat Leganes at Estadio Municipal de Butarque on Wednesday.
Zinedine Zidane's men have enjoyed an upturn in fortunes in recent weeks and they have strung together a five-game unbeaten run, which includes last week's emphatic Champions League last-16 triumph over Paris Saint-Germain.
Los Blancos followed that morale-boosting victory by edging Real Betis in a 5-3 thriller and, as such, they are coming into the game full of confidence.
However, having suffered a humiliating Copa del Rey elimination at the hands of their hosts last month, they are all too aware of the pitfalls that may lie ahead, so they will undoubtedly approach the match with caution.
| Game | Leganes vs Real Madrid |
| Date | Wednesday February 21 |
| Time | 17:45 GMT / 12:45 ET |
| Stream (US only) | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
TV Channel & Live Stream
In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).
New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| beIN Sports | fubo TV (7-day free trial) |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on TV on Sky Sports Football and it can be streamed live online using Sky Go.
| UK TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| Sky Sports Football | Sky Go |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Real Madrid players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Casilla, Luca |
| Defenders | Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Nacho, Theo, Achraf |
| Midfielders | Casemiro, Llorente, Asensio, Isco, Kovacic, Ceballos |
| Forwards | Benzema, Bale, Lucas Vazquez, Mayoral |
Real Madrid have named an 18-man squad for the match and there are a number of notable absentees, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Marcelo.
Ronaldo is being given a rest, with Zidane alluding to the number of games he plays in his pre-match press conference, while Modric and Marcelo are out with hamstring injuries.
Potential Real Madrid starting XI: Casilla; Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Theo; Casemiro, Asensio, Kovacic; Benzema, Vazquez, Bale.
| Position | Leganes players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Pichu, Champagne, Serantes |
| Defenders | Tito, Bustinza, Mantovani, Raul Garcia, Rico, Dos Santos, Munoz, Zaldua, Siovas, Gallardo |
| Midfielders | Al Shehri, Gumbau, Gabriel, El Zhar, Szymanowski, Eraso, Perez, Ramos, Brasanac, Mozo, Sierra |
| Forwards | Amrabat, Guerrero, Beauvue, Naranjo |
Leganes will be without the services of Argentine midfielder Alexander Szymanowski, while Darko Brasnac is also a concern for the hosts.
Potential Leganes starting XI: Pichu; Siovas, Tito, Munoz, Raul Garcia; Ramos, Eraso, Gabriel, Gumbau; Guerrero, Naranjo.
Betting & Match Odds
Visitors Real Madrid are 2/5 favourites to win according to dabblebet with Leganes priced at 7/1 to spring another upset. A draw is available at 15/4.
Match Preview
Getty
Real Madrid endured a desperately rocky patch at the beginning of the year but they have shown in recent weeks that they have what it takes to salvage a disappointing season.
Not only have they placed one foot in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Zidane's side are enjoying a resurgence in La Liga and can potentially move into third place with a win.
They are unbeaten in their last five Liga games, winning four, and they have scored a remarkable 23 goals in the process, with Ronaldo bagging eight of those.
The Portuguese won't be involved in Wednesday's match, but others, such as Gareth Bale and Marcos Asensio have similarly contributed to the turnaround.
Leganes, of course, capitalised on Madrid's desperate form in January, but they are meeting an entirely different beast this month, one with a point to prove and revenge on its mind.
