FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Champions League - Round of 16 - Second Leg - Real Madrid v RB Leipzig - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - March 6, 2024 Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior celebrates scoring their first goal with Jude Bellingham REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo
MADRID (Reuters) - Leaders Real Madrid will have their focus back on LaLiga this Sunday after their midweek Champions League close shave and welcome an old acquaintance in Rafa Benitez, who is going through a rough patch with relegation-battling Celta Vigo.
After Real withstood an onslaught from visitors RB Leipzig to secure an arduous 1-1 draw at home that sent them through to the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday they will seek to preserve their seven-point advantage at the top of LaLiga.
Real's former reserve team player and first-team manager Benitez will return to the Santiago Bernabeu stadium with his Celta side again fighting to stay up.
After narrowly avoiding the drop last season, Celta raised hopes of a more successful campaign this time when they hired the experienced former Liverpool and Valencia manager Benitez last June for their centenary year.
Great things were expected with the arrival of the 2005 Champions League winner but those hopes were quickly dashed, with Celta in a battle to preserve their top flight status.
Under pressure in 17th, one place and five points above the relegation zone, Benitez's side last weekend claimed their fifth win in 27 league games with a hard-fought 1-0 home victory over bottom side Almeria, who are still winless in this campaign.
"I don't even consider coaching Celta in the second division, I'm convinced the team will stay in the first division," Benitez, 63, told reporters after the Almeria win.
However, Celta now face tough away games at Real Madrid and in-form Sevilla, who have won three of their last five games including home wins over Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid.
"It will be a challenge. The stats at the Bernabeu are not good for almost anyone," Benitez said.
"I told the players that we don't have to go there with the idea of not conceding but of scoring. To maximise what you can do in defence and then take advantage in attack. It's not going to be easy."
Real will look to consolidate their grip atop LaLiga, where they sit on 66 points ahead of second-placed Girona, who have 59 and host Osasuna on Saturday.
Barcelona, after a goalless draw at Athletic Bilbao last weekend, are third with 58 points and on Friday entertain Copa del Rey finalists Mallorca, who won 1-0 against visiting Girona.
Fourth-placed Atletico are three points behind Barca and could help Celta in their relegation fight with a win at third-bottom Cadiz on Saturday.
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Editing by Ken Ferris)
