Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid are all but out of the La Liga title race after defeat against Atletico Reuters

Real Madrid will look to return to winning ways when they travel to the Ciutat de Valencia to face Levante on 2 March.

Where to watch live

Kick-off is set for 8pm GMT. The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports 1 HD.

Overview

Levante remain rooted to the bottom of the La Liga table after losing 3-0 at Villarreal on 28 February. It was the Valencian outfit's fourth defeat in their last five league matches and their sixth consecutive loss away from the Ciutat de Valencia.

Rubi has no fresh injury concerns. Defender Pedro Lopez is expected to remain sidelined due to a knee problem, while David Navarro is suspended.

Real Madrid suffered their first defeat under Zinedine Zidane as Antoine Griezmann struck in the second half to give city rivals Atletico a 1-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Madrid giants are now 12 points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona and four points behind Atletico.

Left-back Marcelo remains sidelined with a hip injury, while Sergio Ramos and Dani Carvajal are suspended. Gareth Bale (calf) and Karim Benzema (hamstring) are out but Alvaro Arbeloa (thigh) and Pepe (foot) should return.

What managers say

Rubi: "We knew that the most important thing was not to give options to Villarreal on the break and we have not been able to do so. We fell into their trap. It was something we had worked on, not giving away the ball cheaply, but we did not perform and they punished us with two goals."

Zinedine Zidane: "I'm not happy with the match and I'm not happy with the result. It was always difficult. I told the players yesterday that if we lose points it will be more difficult. We are not going to throw the league away though, whatever happens."

Form guide

  • Levante: LWLLL
  • Last result: Villarreal 3-0 Levante
  • Real Madrid (all competitions): LDWWW
  • Last result: Real Madrid 0-1 Atletico Madrid

Betting odds (888sport)

  • Levante win: 11/2
  • Draw: 15/4
  • Real Madrid win: 7/15

Team news

Levante possible XI: Marino; Lerma, Juanfran, Medjani, Tono; Verdu, Verza, Mate, Morales; Deyverson, Rossi

Real Madrid possible XI: Navas; Danilo, Pepe, Varane, Nacho; Modric, Kroos, Isco; Rodriguez, Jese, Ronaldo