DID YOU KNOW?
* Real Madrid have overtaken Barcelona as the league’s top scorers, though they will need to score six times on Saturday to break the 100 mark for the season.
* Cristiano Ronaldo became the top scorer in a single La Liga season ever last weekend, bagging his 37th and 38th of the campaign.
* In this tally, the Portuguese has converted eight penalty kicks – more than anyone else in the league.
* When los Blancos have taken the lead in matches, they’ve been irreproachable in La Liga, not dropping a single point after getting into the ascendancy.
* Against sides in the bottom half of the table, they’ve suffered two defeats and been held on four occasions this term.
* Almeria’s 3-1 over Mallorca last weekend was their first success in nine outings.
* Worse, it was the first time the already relegated basement side had found the net in five matches.
* Roberto Olabe’s men have picked up 11 of their 30 points this season on the road, but 10 draws in their set of home fixtures stifled any hopes of survival.
* When they last met Real Madrid, they were able to earn a 1-1 draw, Jose Ulloa having given them the advantage on the hour mark only for Esteban Granero to level.
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Real Madrid (4-2-3-1):
Casillas; Ramos, Pepe, Carvalho, Marcelo; Granero, Ozil, X. Alonso; Di Maria, Higuain, Ronaldo
There are no new injury issues in the home camp, though the familiar long-term issues, including Sami Khedira, remain.
It could be that Jose Mourinho uses this match as a chance to test some fringe players, but equally, los Blancos will be looking to raise Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal tally as much as possible.
Almeria (5-4-1):
Esteban; Silva, C. Garcia, Pellerano, Jakobsen; Luna; Ortiz, Juanito, Corona, Piatti; Uche
Young right-back Michel is a casualty of last weekend’s win over Mallorca, picking up an injury that will prevent him for training for around a month.
Modeste M’Bami continues to miss out due to injury, but Hernan Pellerano returns after serving a one-match ban.
Prediction
Real Madrid want goals, and they want plenty of them too. No matter what side Jose Mourinho sends out, they will be geared to attacking, and that must be a worry for the guests. Though they were held against Almeria away from home, expect nothing less than a comfortable home win on this occasion.
Real Madrid 4-0 Almeria 
