Tough road ahead: Real Madrid face gruelling run of fixtures after international break | OneFootball

Real Madrid have endured a mixed start to the season, currently trailing Barcelona by three points at the top of the La Liga table.

Assembling a winning streak, therefore, could be essential as the defending champions look to close the gap at the top.

However, Real Madrid’s task won’t be made by the upcoming run of fixtures, which presents a stern test for Carlo Ancelotti’s men.

Tough road ahead for Real Madrid

Upon their return to training on Tuesday, Los Blancos will prepare for a gruelling schedule that could define their season leading into the final months of 2024.

In the first stretch, Real Madrid will face six challenging opponents across La Liga and the Champions League before the next international break in mid-November.

The team begins with a trip to Vigo to face Celta on Saturday, October 19. Following that, Madrid will host Borussia Dortmund, their opponent from last season’s Champions League final.

Real Madrid will be tested in the coming months (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

The Dortmund game will be followed by the much-awaited El Clasico against Barcelona at Santiago Bernabeu, all within the span of a single week.

The intensity doesn’t drop from there. After the Clasico and European encounters, Real Madrid will travel to Valencia before hosting AC Milan and Osasuna.

Each of these matches will be crucial, not only for Madrid’s standings in La Liga but also in their quest for the Champions League’s top eight places in the league stage.

As the next international break approaches, the fixture congestion continues, with eight matches lined up before the end of the year, including the Intercontinental Cup final in Qatar on December 18.

In the Champions League, Madrid face tricky away ties against Liverpool at Anfield and Atalanta, while their La Liga campaign includes challenging trips to Girona and Rayo Vallecano.

With crucial matches fixed left and right, it is safe to say that the upcoming months could prove to be an acid test for Ancelotti.

Whether or not the Italian will manage to maintain Real Madrid’s winning form, despite limited resources, remains to be seen.