Madrid, Jan 15 (NationPress) Real Madrid's head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has limited opportunity to ponder over Wednesday's calamitous exit from the Copa del Rey against second-tier team Albacete, as his squad prepares to face Levante in the 20th round of La Liga.

As the season resumes, Real Madrid finds itself under a new management and trailing by four points behind FC Barcelona in the championship race. Arbeloa is already facing scrutiny following a disheartening debut, marked by a shameful cup elimination.

The stakes are high at the Bernabeu against Levante, who currently sits near the bottom of the standings but has shown resilience by securing four points in their last two outings under the guidance of new coach Luis Castro.

For Castro's squad, claiming a point or three against Real Madrid seems a daunting challenge, especially as Arbeloa opted to rest key players Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo midweek. Nonetheless, the visiting team will aim to withstand the early pressure and mitigate the frustrations of the fans at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, which could amplify the strain on Arbeloa and his squad, some of whom are appearing for the third time in just a week, according to Xinhua.

The 20th round kicks off on Friday night with a thrilling Catalan derby featuring the in-form Espanyol and Girona, who have recently escaped the relegation zone with back-to-back victories.

Coach Jagoba Arrasate of Mallorca faces potential dismissal if his team fails to secure a home win against Athletic Club Bilbao. Mallorca is precariously perched just above the relegation zone after earning a mere point from their last three matches, while Athletic arrives on the island following an exhausting 120-minute match in the Copa del Rey against Cultural Leon on Tuesday, which exposed their defensive vulnerabilities.

An improving Oviedo will seek to earn their first away victory of the season against Osasuna, who have relied on their home ground for points but may be fatigued after a lengthy Copa del Rey match on Tuesday.

Sixth-place Betis will host third-place Villarreal, who had a midweek respite while Betis triumphed over Elche in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.

Villarreal, trailing FC Barcelona by seven points and Real Madrid by four, needs to secure another victory to stay in the title race.

The weekend commences with a crucial clash between Getafe and Valencia, with Valencia languishing in the relegation zone and Getafe merely four points ahead, albeit struggling with a poor streak of four losses and a draw in their last five matches.

Getafe welcomes back defenders Djene and Domingos Duarte after serving suspensions, while Valencia's coach Carlos Corberan may face termination if his team fails to claim a win.

Atletico Madrid will take on Alaves, who are in dire need of a turnaround to avoid slipping closer to the relegation zone, while Atletico benefited from resting players during their Cup victory in La Coruna on Tuesday.

Celta Vigo will face Rayo Vallecano, with the home side aiming for their fifth league win in six games, leading up to the marquee match of the weekend featuring Real Sociedad hosting FC Barcelona.

Barcelona arrives in stellar form as the reigning Super Cup champions but with limited recovery following their Copa del Rey match against Racing Santander on Thursday.

Real Sociedad has shown significant improvement since Pellegrino Matarazzo took over as first-team coach, with players like Benat Turrientes thriving under the new approach, making this game a potential testament to Matarazzo’s positive impact.

The round concludes on Monday, where Sevilla coach Matias Almeyda could also face dismissal if his team fails to secure a victory away against Elche, who previously triumphed at Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium this season.