After Barcelona's victory against Granada, Lionel Messi and co. are just a point adrift from Real Madrid in the La Liga standings; Madrid topping the table with 60 points.
But Carlo Ancelotti and his men could extend their lead to four points with a victory against Villarreal, whom they take on tonight at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The game against Villarreal is not going to be a cakewalk as they have been one of the in-form teams of late, having won four of their last six fixtures.
Villarreal would be eager to finish in the top four of the domestic league, as it would give them a chance to play in the prestigious Champions League.
With not many games left to play, the domestic competition has moved into the business end and Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is fully aware of the situation.
''We have reached the most important stage of the season in good physical and mental shape,'' Ancelotti said in his pre-match press conference.
''They are a team with a lot of quality, they play very good football, they are well organised and have good players."
Villarreal finds itself in sixth position on the points table and have proved to be a tough opponent for teams placed higher on the ladder such as Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
''They've already beaten Atletico and played well against Barcelona. They are a top La Liga side. We need our strongest team out there and to play as best as we can in order to win.
''When a team have a style and an attitude like theirs, it means the manager is doing a good job. I like Marcelino a lot because of the way he conducts himself and speaks."
Villarreal may not possess stars such as Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Iker Casillas etc, but they have players such as Luciano Vietto and Ikechukwu Uche, who might hold the trump card for Villareal, if they are to upset Real Madrid at home.
The attacking trio of Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Bale have proved to be a handful for teams in the La Liga, as they have tormented players with their skills on the pitch. If could be a long night for Villarreal should these players get going.
Where to Watch Live
The game is set to begin at 3:00 pm ET (1:30am IST, 8:00 pm GMT) with live coverage in India on Star Sports 4.
Viewers in India can also catch the entire match via live streaming online on Starsports.com.
Viewers in the US can catch the action live in the US on beIN SPORTS CONNECT, while residents of UK can catch the game live on Sky Sports 5/HD with the live streaming option on Sky Go.
Football fans across Malaysia can watch it live on Fox Sports 2 Malaysia, while viewers in Indonesia can watch it on Fox Sports Indonesia.
