The three-horse race for La Liga is back on as Real Madrid will have the best chance of overtaking rivals Atlético and Barcelona to take the lead when they face Sevilla at the Bernabeu on Sunday.
Los Blancos, sitting third in LaLiga, have shown moments of brilliance this season but will be eager to bounce back from a chaotic 3-3 draw against Rayo Vallecano. Carlo Ancelotti’s men will need to tighten up defensively to avoid any slip-ups against a Sevilla side sneaking up the table.
Sevilla, who have been in 11th place in the league lately, come into this moment with a 1-0 victory that boosted the morale of RC Celta de Vigo. Although it was not their maximum dominant performance, it was enough to get 3 points.
BROADCAST: Real Madrid vs Sevilla LIVE in the USAU. S. Broadcast by ESPN
As their season struggles to find its rhythm, Sevilla must take advantage of its courage and its field to shake up Real Madrid’s ambitions.
The Sporting News examines the key takeaways ahead of this clash, adding how to watch the game, kick-off times and the latest lineup news.
Here’s how to watch this La Liga match in the United States:
This game is not available for live TV broadcast in the United States in the English language. Streaming options are available on ESPN+.
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WATCH: La Liga action LIVE in the US on ESPN+
This La Liga clash takes place at the Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain and kicks off on Sunday, December 22 at 3:15 p. m. time.
Here’s how that time translates across the U.S.:
Real Madrid’s squad is navigating through the growing injury list and cherry on the cake, Vincius Jr. returned in the last game only to see a yellow that leaves him out of the Sevilla clash.
Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal remain sidelined with long-term cruciate ligament injuries. David Alaba offers a glimmer of hope as he edges closer to full fitness. But with recent injuries to Ferland Mendy and Kylian Mbappe it’s looking like a dull festive period for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid’s predicted lineup (4-3-2-1, left): Courtois (GK) – Vázquez, Tchouameni, Rudiger, F García – Valverde, Bellingham, Modric – Rodrygo, Díaz – Guler
Injured: Alaba, Militao, Carvajal, Camavinga, Mendy, MbappéSanctioned: Vinicius
Sevilla also has its percentage of absences, with Adria Pedrosa and Chidera Ejuke out until the end of December due to muscle and hamstring problems.
Djibril Sow and Tanguy Nianzou are also unavailable, pushing the Andalusians to dig deep into their bench for reinforcements.
Sevilla’s expected line-up (4-3-3, from left to right): Fernández (GOALKEEPER) – Montiel, Baden, Gudelj, Salas – Bueno, Agoume, Saúl – Navas, Iheanacho, Lukebakio.
Injured: Pedrosa, Ejuke, Sow, NianzouSuspended: None
Both groups will have to adapt and improvise, under the watchful eye of the key players.
Madrid barely managed to stay up. But at home, against an inconsistent Sevilla, the real whites cannot be expected to make any mistakes.
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Friday, December 20
Saturday December 21
Sunday December 15
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Syed Talib Haider is a content creator for The Sporting News and works in English-language editions.