Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid will refuse to play if they have another La Liga fixture scheduled with less than 72 hours rest beforehand. Madrid beat Villarreal 2-1 on Saturday, but the game kicked off just under 67 hours after the conclusion of Wednesday’s Champions League last-16 victory over Atletico Madrid,

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said his team will no longer play matches after less than 72 hours' rest because of the physical strain it puts on players. Following Real's 2-1 comeback win at Villarreal,

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid will go head-to-head in the 2024-25 La Liga on Monday (March 17) at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. The match comes at a crucial team in the league as it is the last game for both teams before the international break.

Villareal takes on Real Madrid at the Estadio de la Cerámica on Saturday, March 15. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CET local time, making it a 1:30 p.m. ET and 10:30 a.m. PT start in the US, a 5:30 p.m. GMT start in the UK and a 4:30 a.m. AEDT kickoff in Australia on Sunday morning.

Real Madrid were taken to the brink by bitter rivals Atletico in the Champions League. Now their attention returns to a three-pronged title race in LaLiga.