With Barcelona's victory against Eibar at Municipal de Ipurua in the La Liga last night, the Catalans have taken a four point lead in the top of the standings table.
Hence, Real Madrid, who lie in second position need to come up with a victory tonight against Levante at Santiago Bernabéu to close the gap for the title chase and make the next El Classico, a huge game, which could also turn out to be a title decider.
The Los Blancos might be low on confidence after their defeat in the last game against Schalke 04 in the Champions League, though they managed to progress in the competition with a better aggregate score.
On look at Levante's standing in the bottom half of the La Liga suggest an easy outing, but with Madrid's recent form, one would not want to predict much.
Madrid have not been enjoying a good run with losses against Athletic Bilbao and draw with Villarreal.
Due to such performances, Real Madrid have faced some major criticism, primarily their manager, Carlo Ancelotti, who is under pressure and might be a subject of sacking if their poor run continues.
To save Ancelotti, players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Gareth Bale and a host number of stars in Madrid's line-up should up their game.
"In the position we're in, we can't lose our heads because of some criticism," said Carlo Ancelotti, as quoted by ESPN.
"I've also understood criticism as being something to help you improve your performance. Real Madrid is Real Madrid and coaching them means being involved in the biggest thing in the world."
A victory against Levante, in fact thrashing them could be the best possible way to silence the critics. Such results can also help the players up their confidence, which is required for their El Classico next week against Barcelona.
But Real Madrid have their own issues with Iker Casillas' inconsistent form being a point of concern. So, will Ancelotti drop Los Blancos number one for Levante's clash?
Ancelotti stated that he has not decided as to who would start – Casillas or Keylor Navas? "Maybe, but maybe Casillas could play. I still haven't decided because we've got all the players available.
"I'll decide tomorrow, but I will choose a lineup to try to win, not to single anyone out. I have faith in every player."
Levante might not have been impressive during the season, but they come into this game with a victory under their belt against Eibar.
Where to Watch Live
The La Liga match is set to begin at 9pm local time (1:30am IST, 8pm GMT, 4 pm ET) with live coverage in India on Star Sports 4 and Star Sports HD4. Viewers in India can also catch all the action via live streaming online on Starsports.com.
Viewers in the UK can catch all the action on Sky Sports 5 and Sky Sports 5 HD, while the option to live stream is on SKY Go.
The game will be shown live in the US and Canada on Bein Sports USA with the live streaming option on Bein Sports Connect, while Australian audience can enjoy the action live on Fox Sports 4 and Foxtel Play.
