Carlo Ancelotti: La Liga title race will be a three-team battle

Carlo Ancelotti is under no illusions over the task facing Real Madrid in the La Liga title race.

As rivals Barcelona returned from the international break with a 3-0 midweek win over Osasuna – Los Blancos needed to react in their own comeback.

Ancelotti’s charges were forced to dig deep to secure a late 3-2 win over Leganes via a Kylian Mbappe double in the capital.

That moves Real Madrid back level with leaders Barcelona with the Catalans holding on to top spot due to a better head-to-head record.

However, Barcelona can move further ahead via a positive result against Girona tomorrow, but Atletico Madrid lost further ground in a 1-1 draw at Espanyol.

All three will have nine league games left after the weekend -with Atletico Madrid now six points behind Ancelotti’s defending champions – but the Italian thinks they will still play a big role.

“We didn’t play a bad game [against Leganes]. We lacked balance, but we had control. Did we suffer? I can’t remember a game where we didn’t struggle,” as per reports from Marca.

“Atletico Madrid will fight right until the end because that’s what a professional team does, and they’re a very serious team. They’ll fight just like we will and Barcelona will.

Diego Simeone has already hinted at his view of the final five games of the season deciding who wins the title and his side only play one top half team in the run-in.

Real Madrid and Barcelona face off in Catalonia on May 11 in a game that could tip the balance in either direction.

All three are still involved in the Copa del Rey semi finals, with Barcelona heading to Atletico Madrid on April 2, and Real Madrid hosting Real Sociedad the day before.

As part of a busy April, Real Madrid and Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League campaigns also restart up against Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund respectively.