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Real Madrid are back in La Liga action on January 21 at home to Almeria as Carlo Ancelotti’s side look to close the title gap on leaders Girona.
Ancelotti led his team to an impressive 4-1 Spanish Supercopa final win over Barcelona last week as Los Blancos picked up their first trophy of the 2023/24 season.
Real Madrid can claim top spot in La Liga with a win in this game — with Girona hosting Sevilla later in the day — ahead of key league matches against the Catalans and city rivals Atletico Madrid on the schedule at the start of February.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch it across the world, kickoff times and the latest lineup news.
WATCH: Real Madrid vs Almeria LIVE in the US on ESPN+
What time does Real Madrid vs Almeria kick off?
This La Liga clash takes place at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, Spain and kicks off on Sunday, January 21 at 4:15 p.m. local time.
Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| USA | Sun, Jan. 21 | 10:15 a.m. ET |
| Canada | Sun, Jan. 21 | 10:15 a.m. ET |
| UK | Sun, Jan. 21 | 3:15 p.m. GMT |
| Australia | Mon, Jan. 22 | 2:15 a.m. AEDT |
| India | Sun, Jan. 21 | 8:45 p.m. IST |
Real Madrid vs Almeria live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this La Liga match across selected areas of the world’s major regions:
| Region | TV | Streaming |
| USA | ESPN Deportes | Fubo, ESPN+, |
| Canada | TSN5 |
TSN+ |
| UK | Viaplay Sports | Viaplay UK, La Liga TV |
| Australia | — | Optus Sport |
| India | — | JioTV |
USA: This game is available on ESPN+, with Spanish language options on ESPN Deportes, and streaming options available on Fubo.
Canada: This game is live streaming exclusively on TSN+ and TSN5.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on demand on Optus Sport.
UK: This match is available for live broadcast via Viaplay Sports. Streaming options are on Viaplay UK and La Liga TV.
Real Madrid vs Almeria lineups, team news
Ancelotti has confirmed he will rotate Kepa Arrizabalaga back into the team for La Liga matches in 2024 and he could reshuffle his midfield with Luka Modric potentially starting.
Real Madrid (4-3-3, right to left): Arrizabalaga (GK) — Carvajal, Nacho, Rudiger, Mendy — Modric, Bellingham, Tchouameni — Valverde, Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr.
Real Madrid subs (9): TBC
Rock bottom Almeria are missing the influential Idrissa Babu due to AFCON duty with striker Leo Baptistao serving a one game suspension.
Almeria (4-5-1 right to left): Maximiano (GK) — Pubill, Montes, Chumi, Akieme — Arribas, Gonzalez, Robertone, Loby, Embarba — Suarez.
Almeria subs (9): TBC
Real Madrid vs Almeria prediction
A clash between second place Real Madrid and a relegation bound Almeria team, without a win in their 20 La Liga games so far this season, looks to be a straightforward call.
Ancelotti knows he has to keep up the pressure on Girona, with Barcelona and Atletico Madrid playing catch up in the title race, and three points in this clash will edge them above the current leaders.
Prediction: Real Madrid 3-0 Almeria
