MADRID (Interstat) — Real Madrid hosts Real Oviedo on Thursday in a La Liga matchup that pits the league’s dominant force against a struggling side fighting for survival.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. local time at the Santiago Bernabéu. Real Madrid enters the fixture second in the table, while Real Oviedo sits 16th, just three points above the relegation zone.

Madrid comes off a 2-0 loss at Barcelona on Sunday, a result that dented its title hopes. The defeat ended a four-match unbeaten streak that included a 2-1 win at Deportivo Alavés and a 3-2 comeback victory over Atlético Madrid on March 22. Madrid has won four of its past six matches in all competitions but has dropped points in three of its last five games, including a 1-1 draw at Girona and a 1-2 home loss to Mallorca on April 4.

Real Oviedo snapped a three-match losing streak with a scoreless draw at home against Getafe on Sunday. That result ended a run of two consecutive defeats, including a 2-0 loss at Leganés and a 3-0 defeat at Real Betis. Oviedo has managed just one win in its past nine matches — a 1-0 victory at Sevilla on April 5 — and has been held scoreless in five of those games.

The teams last met Aug. 24, when Madrid won 3-0 at home. Madrid has won the past five head-to-head meetings by a combined 14-1 margin. Oviedo’s last win in the series came in 2020.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a 2-1 victory for Madrid.

Both clubs face quick turnarounds. Madrid travels to Sevilla on Sunday, while Oviedo hosts Deportivo Alavés the same day.

Injuries and lineups were not immediately available. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is expected to rotate his squad with the Sevilla match looming, while Oviedo’s Javier Calleja likely will stick with the defense-first approach that earned a point against Getafe.

A win for Madrid would keep pressure on league leaders Barcelona, while Oviedo needs points to avoid being drawn deeper into the relegation fight.