WHO: Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano
What: spanish league
Where: Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain
when: Sunday 1 February at 2pm local time (13:00 GMT)
How to follow: We will complete all preparations Al Jazeera Sports Our stream of text comments begins at 10:00 GMT.

Real Madrid continue to fight for form in a tumultuous season and must quickly shake off their Champions League woes ahead of Rayo Vallecano’s visit to La Liga on Sunday.

Real Madrid automatically missed out on a place in the last 16 of Europe’s top club competition. beat benfica Wednesday.

Attention now returns to keeping pace with league leaders and defending champions Barcelona on the domestic front.

How did Real Madrid react to losing to Benfica?

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa insists he will support his team’s star players and give them as much playing time as possible, despite debate over whether the team can operate effectively with them all on the pitch.

Los Blancos’ defeat on Wednesday means they must play Further knockout rounds In the Champions League, when too many attacking talents are playing at the same time, they sometimes struggle to maintain balance.

Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Júnior have started each of Arbeloa’s last four games along with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, while midfielder Fede Valverde has started in all four matches and been substituted once.

When asked if the five players were “untouchable”, Arbeloa told a press conference: “I always want the best players on the pitch and the more playing time they can provide for my team, the better.”

“These are players who can change the game at any time. Some people are not Madrid fans and they don’t want them on the pitch, but I think Madrid supporters want their best players on the pitch always.”

“I think the five players mentioned are all top ten players in the world, so they have my full trust. It’s not just my trust – their performance is what drives them on the pitch.”

How did Kylian Mbappe’s criticism of Real Madrid play out in Madrid?

French superstar Mbappe criticized the team Due to their inconsistency, Arbeloa said Madrid are working to resolve the issue.

“Look, we’re trying to find the consistency we want to play and at every level, and I think it’s neither a time to be disappointed nor a time to be ecstatic,” Arbeloa said.

“It’s work time, that’s all.”

How do Barcelona and Real Madrid fare in La Liga?

Barcelona will face Elche on Saturday night with a chance to move four points clear of Real Madrid’s clash with Rayo Vallecano.

How has Rayo Vallecano performed in La Liga this season?

Rayo Vallecano is facing relegation, having won just five of 21 games this season.

Away performances at least give them some hope, with three of their wins coming on the road.

The bottom nine teams are separated by just eight points, with Rayo Vallecano ranked 16th in the 21st round.

What happened the last time Real Madrid faced Rayo Vallecano?

The last time the two sides met was in a La Liga match at Rayo Vallecano on November 9. The game ended in a disappointing 0-0 draw with Real Madrid and was part of the process that led to Alonso’s resignation as head coach.

What happened in the corresponding match between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano last season?

In the La Liga match between the two sides at the Bernabeu last season, Real Madrid won 2-1.

Mbappe and Vinicius scored two points for Real on March 9 before Pedro Diaz pulled one back before half-time, but the visitors were unable to further influence the game in the second half.

face to face

This will be the 48th meeting between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano. Real Madrid have won 33 games while Rayo Vallecano has won 7.

Real Madrid team news

Antonio Rudiger, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ferland Mendy have all returned to training after injuries, but the defensive trio remain unavailable for first-team action.

Eder Militao remains on the long-term sidelines with a serious hamstring injury, with the centre-back expected to be out until late March.

Raul Asensio and Rodrygo both saw red in midweek’s Champions League defeat to Benfica, but both are eligible for La Liga selection.

Real Madrid predicted starting lineup

Courtois; Valverde, Asensio, Huizen, Carreras; Camavinga, Chuameni, Bellingham; Rodrigo, Mbappe, Vinicius

Rayo Vallecano Team News

Abdel Momen and Andre Latiu will both miss the game with knee and leg injuries respectively. Ivan Balliu is struggling to shake off knocks and may face a late fitness test.

Ilyas Ahomachi is fighting for his first start after arriving on loan from Villarreal as a substitute in the last game against Osasuna.

Rayo Vallecano predicts starting lineup

Fight; Ball, Lesser, Sis, Chavarria; Parazon, Valentin, Diaz; Ahomach, Fruit, Garcia