It's going to be a crucial week for Real Madrid and the future of their manager Alvaro Arbeloa. The Spanish giants lost the latest home game against Getafe and are now four points behind Barcelona in LaLiga standings. This is why Friday's match against Celta Vigo will be crucial, only few days before the first leg of the Champions League's Round of 16 against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. Arbeloa spoke ahead of the game and looked confident.
"We know what we're up against, we're aware, and we were in the two matches we couldn't win. We know the level we have to reach if we want to succeed against a great opponent, and that it depends a lot on ourselves and the level we deliver. For us, the past doesn't exist, and we're only thinking about Celta Vigo."
Real Madrid will have to deal with the injury of French striker Kylian Mbappe, whose return on the pitch is still unknown. "I talk to him every day. Of course, we are keeping track of how he's doing and how he feels. Each day, he's getting better; it's a process where we're taking it day by day, observing his sensations, but it's all good news as of today. He's improving more and more", Arbeloa added.
Here's what you need to know ahead of the game:
How to watch Celta Vigo vs. Real Madrid, odds
- Date: Friday, March 6 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Odds: Celta Vigo +228; Draw +245; Real Madrid +117
Celta Vigo XI: Andrei Radu; Javi Rodriguez, Joseph Aidoo, Carlos Dominguez; Oscar Mingueza, Miguel Roman, Ilaix Moriba, Sergio Carreira; Fer Lopez, Ferran Jutgla, Hugo Alvarez.
Real Madrid XI: Thibaut Courtois; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy, Fran Garcia; Aurelien Tchouameni, Thiago Pitarch; Federico Valverde, Arda Guler, Vinicius Junior; Gonzalo Garcia.
It will be a key week for Alvaro Arbeloa's future and Real Madrid, especially after losing the last home game against Getafe. This is a must-win clash for Real Madrid. Pick: Real Madrid 3, Osasuna 0.
