Real Madrid will be expecting red hot Cristiano Ronaldo to deliver the goods, when they visit Almeria on Saturday.
The Los Blancos are currently six points off the pace in La Liga and will be keen to keep up with league leaders Barcelona and archrivals Atletico Madrid, by posting a win tonight. Real have recovered from their El Clasico defeat last month, by winning three of their last four matches, scoring 17 goals in the process.
Star man Ronaldo is enjoying the best form of his career and has now scored 66 goals in all competitions so far this calendar year. The 28-year-old netted a stunning hat-trick in midweek - his fifth for club and country this season - to help Portugal beat Sweden 3-2 and book a place in next year's World Cup finals.
"Perhaps, at this point, I'm better prepared and it could be that this is one of the best moments of my career. [But] in my head I always think that I can improve. My ambition is to always be better. Maybe you get to a level which is difficult to surpass, but I always think I can improve everything. I have to show a very high level and very good and I hope to maintain it until the end of my career," Ronaldo pointed out.
Almeria, on the other hand, are in the relegation zone, with just 12 points from 13 matches but they have improved remarkably of late, winning their last three games in the league; including a 2-1 triumph at Valencia.
"Real Madrid are not invincible," stressed club's top scorer Rodri. "They have two legs and two arms like us, and we can give them a scare," midfielder Verza added.
Team News
Almeria: Midfielders Suso - on loan form Liverpool - and Verza are available again after suspensions but skipper Corona is sidelined.
Real: Sami Khedira will probably miss the rest of the season through a knee injury, suffered with Germany, while Fabio Coentrao is also struggling with a knock. However, Sergio Ramos will return from suspension.
Where to Watch Live
Kick-off is scheduled for 12.30 am IST on Sunday morning, with Star Sports 4 and Star Sports HD2 providing live coverage in the UK. You can also live stream the match online by going to the official Star Sports website. To catch the game via live streaming in the US, click HERE.
Expected lineups
Almeria: Esteban; Nelson, Torsiglieri, Trujillo, Pellerano; Dubarbier, Tebar, Azeez, Vidal, Soriano; Rodri
Real: Lopez; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Arbeloa; Alonso, Illarramendi; Bale, Modric, Ronaldo; Benzema
Prediction: 3-2 to Real
