Real Madrid Recognises points are vital in title bout

There is a feeling of it being the last chance saloon for Real Madrid when they face Barcelona in LaLiga on Saturday, with captain Sergio Ramos understanding the consequences of the Christmas Clasico.

A defeat at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu would put Los Blancos a huge 14 points off the pace with the Blaugrana comfortably on top throughout the season.

"It will be a great match," remarked Ramos at a sponsorship event on Tuesday. "There are no words to describe the Clasico.

"It is totally different, and the most important game in the world.

"We are obliged to win now more than ever due to the situation we find ourselves in, in order to remain in the fight for LaLiga."

Victory at the Club World Cup has returned some confidence to the Real line-up, according to Ramos, with all eyes fixed on their last game of 2017.

"We come into it in good form after winning the Club World Cup, which always suits the team on a psychological level," he added.

"We are eager to play and have been working hard this week, so hopefully we can get the three points that will allow us to stay close to those teams ahead of us."

The game kicks off at 13:00 CET on December 23, Barcelona seeking an unprecedented third straight win at their rivals' stadium.