Real Madrid will "keep fighting" as long as they mathematically have a chance of winning La Liga, after slipping four points behind Barcelona, under-pressure coach Alvaro Arbeloa said. Los Blancos visit Celta Vigo today, hoping to move back within one point of Barcelona ahead of the reigning champions' match at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
Madrid lost their lead at the top of the table with a defeat at Osasuna a fortnight ago, before being humbled at home by Getafe last weekend to increase the scrutiny on Arbeloa. "We're four points behind, not 18. This is Real Madrid. As long as we can mathematically fight, we will, and if there ever comes a time when we can no longer fight, we will still keep fighting," said Arbeloa, who replaced Xabi Alonso as coach in January.
"In the dressing room, we're aware that there's still a lot of the season left. We've had two consecutive league defeats. Of course, at a club like Real Madrid, defeat is always difficult to handle because of the expectations and the pressure, but right now the only thing we're thinking about is tomorrow's match."
Madrid have been hit badly by injuries in recent weeks. Brazilian winger Rodrygo Goes joined Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Eder Militao on the sidelines after suffering a serious knee injury against Getafe which will likely see him miss the World Cup in the summer. Centre-back Dean Huijsen will also sit out the game at Celta through suspension.
Real Madrid host Manchester City in their Champions League last-16 first leg next Wednesday. Mbappe has travelled to Paris for treatment on his knee injury and Bellingham is in London, with both hoping to recover in time to face City. Arbeloa said that any decisions about the players' fitness would be taken "by the medical services of Real Madrid".
Real Sociedad set up Copa del Rey final against Atletico Madrid
Real Sociedad will face Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey final after a 1-0 win over Basque rivals Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday sealed a 2-0 aggregate semi-final victory. Captain Mikel Oyarzabal settled a tight contest at the Reale Arena with a spot kick in the 87th minute after referee Cesar Soto Grado reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta was penalised for pulling Yangel Herrera's shirt at a corner and Oyarzabal fired his effort to the keeper's left as he dived the other way.
La Real controlled possession for much of the match but struggled to turn their dominance into clear chances, managing four shots on target.
Athletic, without injured winger Nico Williams, rarely threatened the home side until they tried to make a desperate run late in the second half as they exited the competition.
The final will be played at Seville's La Cartuja stadium on April 18, when La Real and Atletico meet in the Spanish Cup showpiece for the second time. The Basque side won their previous final showdown on penalties in 1987 after a 2-2 draw following extra time. They lifted the trophy again in 2020.
Harry Kane will miss Bayern Munich's Bundesliga match against Borussia Moenchengladbach today with a calf injury, coach Vincent Kompany said. The England striker, who has been an ever-present for Bayern this season, should be fit in time for the Champions League last-16 first leg at Atalanta next Tuesday.
Bayern took a big step towards defending their Bundesliga title last weekend with a comeback 3-2 win at closest challengers Borussia Dortmund to open up an 11-point lead. Kane scored twice in that match to take his tally in all competitions this season to 45 goals.
