Real Madrid went down to a 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on April 26 which leaves Los Blancos with just one chance to win a trophy this season with the La Liga title.
It has been a difficult campaign for Real Madrid, with three El Clasico defeats proving difficult to recover from, as Barcelona have stormed away at the top of La Liga.
Up next for Real Madrid is a fourth and final clash against Barcelona on May 11 which is Carlo Ancelotti's last chance to rescue his campaign.
Los Blancos are currently second in the rankings with a four-point gap to table toppers Barcelona with four matches remaining on the schedule.
While the upcoming El Clasico is a fight to close the point gap for Real Madrid, it is a chance to claim the league title for Barcelona, but an away win for Ancelotti will push the title race all the way to the final day.
Despite their underwhelming results against their Spanish archrivals this season, Ancelotti has not given up on his squad and their chances of winning in Barcelona and retaining their league crown.
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What did Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti say about title chances?
Real Madrid bagged a 3-2 win against Celta Vigo in their last La Liga clash and Ancelotti addressed their Copa del Rey final loss and claimed [comments via Barca Universal] the match was 'competitive' and his side were 'close to winning.'
"We played a week ago [in the Copa del Rey final], and it was competitive. We were close to winning. There’s no need to make things up.
The Italian also acknowledged that even if Real Madrid bag a win against Barca, there will still be a one-point difference, but clarified a potential victory will give them 'more opportunities.' He also expressed confidence in his squad to 'fight' against all odds.
"We’re going to have a great opportunity. We have to prepare well. If we win, we’re at a disadvantage by one point, but we will have more opportunities if we’re able to win.
"The game has to be serious, very important, and we’re going to approach it and try. Despite everything, we can fight for this match."
While this season has not been in their favour, Real Madrid still lead in the number of victories in El Classico games by a small margin. The Spanish arch rivals have faced each other on 260 occasions, with Los Blancos bagging 106 wins and Barcelona winning 103 times, with 51 draws.
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