Real Madrid will target top spot in La Liga when Rafa Benitez's men host Levante at the Bernabeu on Saturday.
The 2014 Champions League winners are a point adrift of the league leaders Villarreal, who only play on Sunday, and that too a big match against third-placed Celta Vigo.
With their title rivals Barcelona, who play late on Saturday, on 15 points as well, and Atletico Madrid a further two points behind, Real Madrid will want to lay a marker for this weekend with an authoritative win over Levante.
"We'll have to put pressure on Levante from the very first minute because they're a well-organised side, they play with intensity and have a clear game plan," Benitez said of the match on Saturday. "The key is to play with speed, precision and patience.
"Their manager is a strong tactician. In Barcelona, they kept things tight during the first half, and made it to the break with the score level at 0-0. Our players need to clearly understand that we have to play with speed and consistency and try to get an early goal to open things up."
Levante are not having the greatest of times in La Liga at the moment, and find themselves in the bottom three having managed just six points from seven matches.
While nobody expects them to get anything out of Real Madrid on Saturday, they will want to keep things tight at the back for as long as possible, frustrate the Real Madrid attackers, led by Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, and hope that one of those counter-attack bear fruit.
While Real Madrid have improved in defence following the arrival of Benitez, they have sometimes struggled to score goals, especially in the La Liga, and doing so again will be Levante's hope going into this La Liga match.
"This team possesses a great squad of players," Benitez added. "They work very hard and are competitive. Our aim is to be focused in order to win games.
"Real Madrid fans want to know what's going on with the team. The idea I want to pursue is that of doing things well and in a professional manner. The supporters want us to be focused and fortunately we are."
Where to Watch Live
Real Madrid vs Levante is scheduled for a 4 pm local time (7.30 pm IST, 3 pm BST, 10 am ET) start. Sony Kix and Sony Six HD will show the La Liga match live in India, with the online live streaming option on Livsports.
Audience in the Middle East, North Africa, USA, Canada and Australia will be able to watch Real Madrid play Levante live on Bein Sports, while the live stream option is on Bein Sports Connect. Spain viewers can catch the match live on Canal+ and Movistar.
Viewers in the UK can watch the La Liga match live on Sky Sports, while the action can also be live streamed on Sky Go.
