Since Malaga came under new ownership and Manuel Pellegrini took over as manager, they've become one of the most entertaining sides in La Liga. The signing of Santi Cazorla has been an absolute coup and there's no reason to believe they can't challenge for European places this season and into the distant future. However, they seriously stumbled last week in a loss to Levante, and things are going to get a whole lot tougher in Week 8 of the La Liga season when they welcome Real Madrid.
Jose Mourinho's men have encountered plenty of problems this season, but they're in excellent form with five straight wins in all competitions. With Kaka and Mesut Özil both fit and in good form, Mourinho's biggest problem is figuring out who to play or how to play both of them, an excellent problem to have.
Malaga have the firepower to score on Los Merengues at home, but their defense is questionable at best. Expect goals galore in this fixture, but expect more of them to come from Real Madrid.
Real Madrid vs. Malaga
Game Date/Time: Saturday, October 22, 2:00 pm ET (8:00 pm local)
Venue: La Rosaleda, Malaga, Spain
TV: Sky Sports 4 (UK), ESPN3 (USA - English), ESPN Deportes (USA - Spanish), GolTV (Canada), Canal+ (Spain)
For more on Los Merengues, check out Real Madrid blog Managing Madrid. We'll have live coverage of this match and all of the other La Liga action, including Barcelona-Sevilla, in our La Liga Week 8 StoryStream. For more on the entire world of footy, head over to SB Nation Soccer.