MATCHDAY: Madrid visits Rayo in bid to regain league lead

A look at what’s happening in European soccer on Monday:

SPAIN

Real Madrid visits Rayo Vallecano needing a win to regain the lead of the Spanish league. Carlo Ancelotti’s second-place team sits two points behind rival Barcelona, which beat Almería 2-0 at home on Saturday. Ancelotti will not be able to count on striker Karim Benzema and defender Antonio Rüdiger, who are not fully fit. Midfielder Toni Kroos is out after being sent off in the previous round, while Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eden Hazard are back in the squad. Rayo has won two in a row and is unbeaten in four straight league matches. It is looking to move closer to the European places with a home victory. Madrid won 19 of its last 20 league matches against the city rival, with its last defeat in 2019.

ENGLAND

Bracknell Town is hoping to secure a famous FA Cup upset against Ipswich in the first round of the competition. Bracknell, from the Southern League Premier South, hosts former top-flight club Ipswich at Bottom Meadow. Ipswich, now in League One, has not been in the Premier League since relegation in 2002. It won the FA Cup in 1978. Bracknell sits 11th in the Premier South.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup

Melina Mccormack

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