SPANISH LEAGUE
Barcelona, Feb 26: Real Madrid will look to recover from a damaging La Liga defeat when they host Getafe CF on Monday, though doubts remain over the fitness of Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe, the league’s top scorer with 23 goals, is struggling with a knee issue and missed Madrid’s midweek Champions League win over Benfica. He did feature, however, in the surprise 2-1 loss to Osasuna that cost Madrid top spot. That setback allowed FC Barcelona to move a point clear after 25 rounds.Barcelona face a stern test against third-placed Villarreal CF on Saturday before travelling to Atletico Madrid for the second leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal, needing to overturn a 4-0 deficit.For Madrid, Vinicius Junior — with five goals in his last four matches — could spearhead the attack if Mbappe remains sidelined. Injuries have also ruled out Jude Bellingham, Eder Militao and Dani Ceballos.Elsewhere, Atletico’s Ademola Lookman has impressed since his winter arrival, while Mallorca’s Vedat Muriqi continues his prolific campaign despite the club parting ways with coach Jagoba Arrasate. (AP)
