Real Madrid will look to go level with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid at the top of the La Liga table with a victory at Osasuna on Saturday.
The Los Blancos have been in terrific form of late, and coupled with the patchy recent record of Barcelona, it has seen the Spanish giants pull to within just three points of the leaders.
Atletico Madrid are also three ahead of their crosstown rivals, and Real can go level on points with them with three points. "Now we are playing together, with chemistry," Real manager Carlo Ancelotti said.
Osasuna are not having the best of times at the moment, with the side, in particular, struggling in front of goal. Javi Gracia's men currently stand 16th in the table with 13 points from 15 matches, just a point ahead of the relegation zone.
However, Ancelotti refused to take their opponents, a side that Real have struggled against lately, lightly. "Osasuna are a tough team to beat at home," the Italian said. "They are very organised and it is important to be focused and do our best to win.
"The team's attitude is good and we are playing with clear ideas. We are doing very well at the moment and we have to keep it going because the season is long. We have to keep playing with the same attitude and getting good results."
Real warmed up for the tie with a comfortable 2-0 victory over FC Copenhagen in the Champions League, a game which saw the return of talisman Cristiano Ronaldo from injury.
The Portuguese superstar, voted the best player in the world by World Soccer magazine, missed three games, but looked right at home, scoring on his comeback.
Team news: Osasuna: Gracia will be without midfielder Francisco Punal, who is suspended, while Nino is a doubt with a knee problem.
Real Madrid: The usual suspects remain out for Ancelotti, with Raphael Varane, Fabio Coentrao and Sami Khedira unavailable. The Real manager confirmed he would stick with the same lineup that coasted to victory against Copenhagen on Tuesday.
"I will not make many changes from the Copenhagen match," he said. "The players are well recovered after Tuesday and we have to give our all because it is always a difficult place to visit."
Where to Watch Live
The game is scheduled for an 8.30 pm IST start with live coverage on Star Sports HD1. You can also catch all the action live online by clicking HERE. Viewers in the U.S. can live stream the match HERE. Middle East and North Africa viewers click HERE.
Expected lineups: Osasuna: Fernandez, Bertran, Arribas, Loties, Damia, Lolo, Cuevas, Emiliano Armenteros, Torres, Cejudo, Magem.
Real Madrid: Lopez, Arbeloa, Pepe, Ramos, Marcelo, Isco, Alonso, Modric, Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo.
Prediction: 3-0 to Real Madrid
