Exhaustive month ahead for Real Madrid

Real Madrid saw out 2014 with impeccable figures: they top the Liga BBVA (one point ahead of Barcelona but with a game in hand), they enjoyed a faultless Champions League group stage and they are through to the Last 16 of the Copa del Rey. Added to which, they are in the middle of a run of 22 consecutive victories – just two short of equalling Coritiba’s tally of 24 straight wins listed in the Guinness Book of Records (World Guinness must clarity whether the friendly defeat to AC Milan counts or not).

January, when Madrid could potentially play nine games in 28 days – an average of one game every 3.1 days, will test Ancelotti’s team to the limit. Madrid will also be up against some of their closest rivals in the first month back after Christmas.

2015 begins with Sunday’s league meeting with Valencia at Mestalla on 4 January. Three days later Madrid cross town to take on Atlético in the first leg of their Round of 16 Copa del Rey tie at the Calderón. On 10 January Espanyol will be the first team to visit the Bernabéu in the New Year (if Ancelotti’s team are in a position to equal Coritiba’s record, it will be in this game). On 15 January they will decide their Copa del Rey tie against Atlético at the Bernabéu then three days later face Getafe in the league. Should Madrid advance in the Cup and Barça do likewise against Elche, they will come face to face in the quarter-final – the first leg to be played away from home on 21 January. Madrid are away to Córdoba in the league on 24 January; the return leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final will take place on either 28^th or 29^th and an exhaustive month comes to a close as Real Sociedad are guests at the Bernabéu on 31 January.

The calendar would be not quite as hectic if Madrid are eliminated by Atlético in the Cup. In such circumstances, they would average one game every four days - although they would enjoy a free week (from 24 to 31 January) to recharge their batteries.

Other commitments this month in clued the FIFA Ballon d’Or gala in Zurich which Cristiano Ronaldo is the bookies’ favourite to win the Men’s award.

from Últimas noticias | Diario AS http://ift.tt/1x9nhkL

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