The champions came into the match five points behind their bitter rivals Barcelona, who are now in first place in the La Liga standings with 50 points. Due to minor ailments, Eder Militao and Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema were also sidelined for Carlo Ancelotti's team. As a result of Real Madrid's error, Barcelona may have a chance to close the eight-point lead at the top of the league standings thanks to an early own goal by Nacho Fernandez.
Los Blancos will now concentrate on the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco as they prepare to play Cairo powerhouse Al Ahly on February 8 in the semifinals. Hussein El-Shahat, Mohamed Sherif, and Percy Tau scored goals for Al Ahly in their debut match of the competition, which resulted in a crushing 3-0 victory over Auckland City of New Zealand.