The home straight is upon Real Madrid in their quest for the LaLiga title but the path is anything but a simple one as Zinedine Zidane's men attempt to conquer the domestic league whilst also defending their Champions League crown.
As the international break comes to an end, the French coach is left to plot Real's path to glory without any further interruptions and a two-point, game in hand gap over Barcelona.
Zidane has guided Los Blancos to four wins from his four games after international stoppages but April is a whole different kettle of fish for those Spanish sides competing on multiple fronts, with games every few days and still the Celta Vigo rearrangement to be pencilled in at some stage.
Fortunately for Madrid, no fresh injury concerns have been picked up over the break and Raphael Varane is set to be fit for Sunday's game with Alaves.
Due to the double-header with Bayern Munich, El Clasico, and the Madrid derby in the coming weeks, it's the home games against Alaves and subsequent trips to Leganes and Sporting Gijon that are to be fulfilled by the fringe players as the coach rotates his pack.
With Casemiro suspended, Mateo Kovacic and Isco can expect to be dropped into the line-up versus the Vitoria club alongside Luka Modric, who was released from Croatia duty early.
Fans should prepare for further surprises as Zidane names his teams for this intense run, knowing that risk must be balanced with reward in the tricky banana skins just as much as the vital clashes against Bayern, Barcelona & Co. that could define Real's season.
