Madrid aim for the perfect ten

Real Madrid CF will look to put their midweek UEFA Champions League defeat to Liverpool FC behind them when they seek a tenth straight league win at relegation-threatened RCD Espanyol this Saturday.

Giant killers
Juande Ramos's side have reduced FC Barcelona's lead at the top of the Liga to seven points thanks to an impressive domestic sequence which began with a 1-0 victory over Valencia CF prior to the Christmas break. A helping hand arrived from Espanyol last weekend when Los Periquitos stunned Barcelona with a 2-1 win at Camp Nou, thus ending their near neighbours' 22-game unbeaten run. "If we want to win [the title], we can't afford any slip-ups," Italian central defender Fabio Cannavaro stated. "Against Barça, Espanyol played the perfect game but I always prefer to think about Real Madrid and what we will do on the night."

Tricky trip
Madrid hold the numerical advantage in terms of victories (84) between the two teams, who will face each other for the 150th time in the Spanish top flight on Saturday, but three defeats in their last four visits to the Olímpico will serve to remind Los Merengues of the difficult task ahead. "We'll have to knuckle down and work hard," said Cannavaro. "In the Liga we're going through a decent run but we must continue. The most important thing is not to think we've somehow won something; there are a lot of games still left to play." The 35-year-old also offered special praise for Espanyol veteran Iván de la Peña, whose two goals helped down Barcelona. "He's a really good footballer, one of those that if you make a mistake he'll score against you."

Morale boost
Meanwhile, Espanyol attacker Luis García says the win over Barcelona will give his side a much-needed confidence boost as they look to make it back-to-back wins for just the second time in almost 14 months. "Against Madrid we'll have to play like we did last weekend," the 28-year-old said. "We managed to give one of the best teams in Europe a lot of problems and that really lifted the morale of the team." In what will be the last match between these two sides before Espanyol move to their new stadium next season, maintaining their Liga status is vital for Mauricio Pochettino's charges, who currently lie 19th in the table. "The Madrid match is now fundamental for us," García admitted. "A win would help us a lot, so we must make the Olímpico a fortress. We're facing [Madrid] at what is a good time for us."