Las Palmas vs Real Madrid. Spanish La Liga.
Gran CanariaAttendance25,846.
Sunday 13 March 2016 18:37, UK
Gareth Bale is set to make his first La Liga start since January when Real Madrid visit Las Palmas on Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7.15pm.
The Welshman continued his comeback with 60 minutes against Roma in the Champions League in midweek but will make his first league start since coming off at half-time of his side's 5-1 win over Sporting Gijon on January 17.
Real, who have no injury concerns, travel to Las Palmas in search of a fourth straight win.
When a draw at Malaga was followed by a home defeat to Atletico Madrid in late February, the issues were mounting up for manager Zinedine Zidane as Cristiano Ronaldo publicly criticised his team-mates, while fans and the media questioned the commitment of several players.
But Madrid have responded with wins over Levante, Celta Vigo and Roma, scoring 12 goals in three outings, to change the atmosphere completely and Zidane insists his side's trouble are over.
"After three wins, everything is better, in practice, in the dressing room," Zidane said.
"But we have to keep working because the games are coming and are increasingly difficult."
With a 12-point deficit to Barcelona, Madrid's title hopes appear to be over, but Zidane has insisted his team will not let up.
"We are in a good period, but that does not mean anything," he said. "We have to go well in all our games, prepare well and be ready to compete."
Madrid will head to Gran Canaria to face a Las Palmas side four points above the drop zone and still very much in a scrap to survive despite three wins on the bounce.
Although every point is precious, coach Quique Setien admitted this is not the sort of match he is counting on to help them.
"It is very possible we will see something similar to the Barcelona match," he said, referring to Las Palmas' 2-1 home loss last month.
"When Real Madrid have the ball you must submit, but this game is not just about keeping going, but also making good decisions.
"The team is in good shape with a lot of stability. The mood is good, the sensations are good, and I don't think this will change with a loss."
The match will have special significance for Las Palmas' on-loan Brazilian forward Willian Jose, who spent six months with Real Madrid's B club Castilla, making one La Liga appearance when called up to the first team in 2014, before moving on to Real Zaragoza.
"It's a special game for me," he said. "The experience I had at Real Madrid was very good, although I could not stay much longer because Castilla were relegated.
"We know that winning at Madrid is not easy, but now we are a team with great confidence."