Xabi Alonso is already on thin ice at Real Madrid and it is hard to see him surviving should they come a cropper at third-tier Talavera in the Copa del Rey tonight.

Barcelona face Osasuna on Saturday in a crucial LaLiga match that can extend their lead atop the standings. The team coached by Hansi Flick in the past weeks has bounced back from being five points behind Real Madrid in the league to building a four edge on their closest rival,

Gareth Bale saw a goal disallowed as Barcelona and Real Madrid played out a 0-0 draw at Camp Nou on Wednesday. LaLiga's top two went into the contest level on points this season and with 72 wins each from previous league meetings, and there was nothing to separate them in a tense clash in Catalonia.

Talavera will be without Valen Gomez on Wednesday, as the 21-year-old was sent off in the previous round. As for Real Madrid, the visitors are still missing a number of big names, with David Alaba, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao and Ferland Mendy all ruled out.

Real Madrid secured victory against Alaves on Sunday night, and with it, likely gave Xabi Alonso at least another week in the job. However the victory did not come without controversy, with Los