Real Madrid, on the verge of making it into the Copa semi-finals

Real Madrid may become the first Copa del Rey semi-finalist tonight. The white team wants to close out the playoffs against Espanyol in front of their fans (9:00 p.m., C+ and Gol T), playing with a 0-1 advantage achieved at the Cornellá-El Prat stadium. Ancelotti has called up 20 players for the game and has confirmed that Jesé will replace Bale in the starting line-up. This game marks the close of a month of brilliant play in January for Real Madrid: seven wins, 16 goals in their favour, and none against.

Real Madrid and Espanyol come face-to-face again for the third time this month. The two previous times ended with victories for the white squad in Barcelona. Now Ancelotti’s men want to certify their participation in the Copa semi-finals, where they would be matched up against the winner of the playoff between Atlético and Athletic.

The game comes at an exceptional time for Real Madrid, and could mark their twentieth match without a loss and their tenth consecutive win. The equilibrium that Ancelotti has referred to on numerous occasions has been translated into an immaculate start of the year. The team’s usual offensive potential is matched by a solid backfield, which has made them undefeated in 2014. What's more, in the five Copa games played so far, they have not given up a single goal.

Ancelotti has called up 20 players, the same ones as for the game against Granada, except for the absence of Bale, who suffered a blow on Saturday. His place among the 11 starting players will be occupied by Jesé. The Italian coach, who will wait for his players to recuperate to decide the line-up, warned about the game’s difficulty in the pre-game conference: “We have a small advantage, but we have to be careful. The playoffs are open; we’ve to play well and with the best team possible to make the semi-finals.”

Espanyol comes to Santiago Bernabéu Stadium with the intention of turning the playoffs around. The Catalonian squad tied last weekend in Valencia and holds ninth place in the League. They’ve put on a solid show at home, but on the road their numbers show a definite drop. Sergio García is the top goal scorer, with ten goals, and has shot the ball into the net in three out of the last four games.