La Liga actions roll on this Saturday with first-place Real Madrid hosting relegation-threatened Deportivo Alaves. Los Blancos lead the league with 54 points but have just a four-point cushion over Sevilla with 14 games to go. Meanwhile, Alaves have a little momentum now but still find themselves four points back of the drop zone and desperately needing more results.
Here’s our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
Date: Saturday, Feb. 19 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu — Madrid, Spain
TV: ABC | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
Odds: Real Madrid -420; Draw +500; Alaves +1200 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
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Storylines
Real Madrid: Do you know what this team needs? An absolute thrashing of an opponent. Their display against PSG was one of the worsts in several years in terms of attack. They finished with an xG of 0.14 and just three shots in the entire match, losing it on a late goal from Kylian Mbappe. Getting their momentum back in attack will be key, and Alaves are the perfect victims. Real have failed to score in their last two matches — something that hasn’t happened since May of last season.
Alaves: The 2-1 win over Valencia last time out was just the second time since Thanksgiving where they’ve scored twice in a league match. Dangerous on set pieces, they were able to score early and then get a late win via a penalty kick. Joselu is a player who will have to come up big for them to have any chance, and Alaves will be hoping to face a weakened team who may look to rest some players after playing in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Prediction
Karim Benzema returns to form, scoring a brace as Real keep their mildly comfortable lead atop La Liga. Pick: Real Madrid 3, Alaves 0
KVSP