The CTA laughs in Real Madrid's face, the Referee Appointed for Espanyol

One of Real Madrid's  great comebacks this season has been in LaLiga. The team coached by Ancelotti has managed to overcome a significant points advantage by Barcelona, which went through a streak of last December's poor results. Meanwhile, the Meringue entity strengthened its basic gameplay aspects and didn't fail to score in any game.

Except for the visit to the new San Mamés, where the outstanding match played by Athletic Club de Bilbao once again highlighted the most notable shortcomings of Santiago Bernabéu's changing room. Be that as it may, Real Madrid is now four points ahead of the second-placed team, Atlético de Madrid, and seven points ahead of a FC Barcelona relegated to third place.

The distance from their pursuers, although significant, can still be overcome as the white club itself did. That's why it's crucial to extend the winning pace in LaLiga to further distance themselves from teams that aim to complicate the final stretch of the competition for the leader. The game against Espanyol, in Catalan lands, is a very important encounter for several reasons.

Not only for the possibility of adding another three points and staying on the path of victory. This clash at the RCDE Stadium is the match prior to Atlético de Madrid's visit to Santiago Bernabéu: this encounter could definitively decide the fate of LaLiga 24/25.

We'll see

There are many possibilities at stake, so  Madrid has already started to thoroughly prepare for the encounter to arrive at the Madrid classic with the greatest possible advantage. The designated referee for this match, however, brings back bad memories in the Valdebebas offices and to the white supporters. The CTA has chosen Muñiz Ruiz.

The referee from the Galician committee will be joined by Iglesias Villanueva, responsible for managing the VAR during the Espanyol-Real Madrid match. Muñiz Ruiz was involved in a highly analyzed refereeing in the Real Madrid-Deportivo Alavés clash this same season, also being in charge of the VAR during Vinícius's expulsion in Mestalla.

"César, we're going to recommend the review to assess possible violent conduct as I told you before, okay. It's the impact, you have it there", said the Galician referee to César Soto Grado at that moment... without showing him the entire action that occurred between the '7' verdeamarelo and Stole Dimitrievski, Valencia's goalkeeper.

Be that as it may, the players and members of the coaching staff know that they must forget about this CTA decision. Because it entirely depends on them to secure the three points and remain as LaLiga leaders. Just before the tense Madrid classic approaching on Saturday, February 8.