Online Reporter
REAL Madrid roared back to life this week, led by a superb Vinicius Junior, who is looking to confirm his own resuscitation and that of his team at Villarreal today in the Spanish LaLiga football.
Second-placed Madrid can move top of the table with a victory before leaders Barcelona host Real Oviedo tomorrow and crush the threat of another title contender at the same time as they head to Spain’s east coast.
Marcelino Garcia Toral’s Villarreal are third, seven points behind Madrid and eight off champions Barca, and a defeat would virtually write off any chance of a first ever title.
An emphatic 6-1 victory over Monaco on Tuesday in the Champions League helped brighten the gloom in the Spanish capital and earn new coach Alvaro Arbeloa a modicum of credit.
It was the first glimpse of what his team might look like, after the Copa del Rey last 16 defeat against Albacete in his first match at the helm was the performance of a club deep in the doldrums, two days after Xabi Alonso’s departure.
Arbeloa’s second match, a win over Levante in LaLiga last weekend, was marked by a monumental show of dissent from home fans, the shadow of which the team struggled to emerge from.
However with the fans behind them again against Monaco, Madrid put in their best performance of the season with Brazilian winger Vinicius offering a sensational display in particular.
After going 16 games in a row without finding the net, Vinicius has now scored two in his last four matches.
Beyond a delightful solo goal against Monaco, he was a persistent threat and played key parts in three more of his team’s strikes.
Fixtures:
Today: Rayo Vallecano v Osasuna (3pm), Valencia v Espanyol (4:15pm), Sevilla v Athletic Bilbao (7:30pm), Villarreal v Real Madrid (10pm)
Tomorrow: Atletico Madrid v Mallorca (3pm), Barcelona v Real Oviedo (5:15pm), Real Sociedad v Celta Vigo (7:30pm), Alaves v Real Betis (10pm)
Monday: Girona v Getafe (10pm) – AFP Sport.
