Carlo Ancelotti has urged Real Madrid not to pass up the chance to edge closer to the LaLiga title with an El Clasico victory over arch-rivals Barcelona.

The sides meet at the Bernabeu on Sunday with leaders Madrid eight points clear of second-placed Barca and acutely aware of just how significant a win could be with just seven games of the season remaining.

Ancelotti told a press conference: “If we manage to win it, we’ll be within touching distance of LaLiga.

“We’re playing against highly competitive opposition who have played brilliantly in recent games. It will be a hard-fought and evenly-matched Clasico, as they always are.

“It’s a great opportunity to move closer to the LaLiga title, but we know how difficult it will be because Barcelona are still very much in it.”

Ancelotti’s men are unbeaten in 16 games in all competitions culminating in Wednesday night’s dramatic penalty shoot-out victory at Manchester City which booked their place in the Champions League semi-finals.

They have lost only once in the league all season – in September – and even the hugely-experienced Italian is excited at the prospect of what lies ahead.

He said: “We’re doing a fantastic job. The cake is ready, out of the oven and all we have to do now is ice it this month. It’s a decisive month and we’re heading into it in a great position.”

Ancelotti has a near full complement of players from which to pick from with only defender David Alaba currently not on the training pitch.

Barca will run out in Madrid still licking their wounds after Tuesday night’s Champions League exit at the hands of Paris St Germain, and knowing they will have to do something special to reel in the leaders.

Head coach Xavi told a press conference: “For us, it is the most important game of the season. We have to win and put pressure on the leaders. We are going to try to compete and win at the Bernabeu.

“We will find a strong Madrid, and even more so after eliminating the best team in the world, (Manchester) City. Euphoria will be through the roof and they are a very strong rival.

“Today we trained well; yesterday we were hungover from the Champions League. The team has all the enthusiasm in the world to fight for this league.”

Xavi has immense respect for Madrid’s efforts to date, but knows his side are not far behind where it was at the same stage last season before going on to win the title.

He said: “We have all the respect in the world for Madrid and their numbers are extraordinary – ours too because we have only four points fewer than last season.”

Goals from Joel Randall and substitute Ricky Jade-Jones secured promotion-chasing Peterborough a comfortable 2-0 victory over Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium.

Former Rovers striker Jonson Clarke-Harris was handed a chance to show his old club what they are missing as Peterborough dominated but ended up being upstaged by his colleagues.

Midfielder Randall put Darren Ferguson’s side in command with his 11th goal this season on 41 minutes with a cool close-range volley following Malik Mothersille’s deflected cross.

After the break, Peterborough goalkeeper Jed Steer came to his team’s rescue with a smart save to thwart Scott Sinclair after the former Celtic winger outwitted Josh Knight in the penalty box.

Steer then pulled off a fine stop to deny Rovers skipper Antony Evans when he let fly from distance as the hosts pressed for an equaliser but there was to be no stopping Peterborough.

Jade-Jones, on for Mothersille, applied the finishing touch in the fifth minute of stoppage time with a back-heeled effort for his 13th goal this term after being teed up by Harrison Burrows.

Cian Ashford struck a 96th-minute winner for Cardiff as they put a huge dent in Southampton’s bid for automatic promotion with a 2-1 win at Cardiff City Stadium.

The Saints took an early lead through Joe Aribo and looked comfortable for much of the game before they were overhauled by a tremendous fightback from the Bluebirds.

Southampton came into the game on the back of picking up nine points from three games in a week.

They saw Leicester go top of the table with their 2-0 home win over West Brom prior to their kick-off and were chasing a fourth win in a row to go level on points with Leeds in third.

Saints boss Russell Martin saw his team get off to a flying start with a goal in the 12th minute.

Prior to that Stuart Armstrong’s shot across the home goal had hit the post, but there was no stopping Aribo’s shot as he gave the Saints the lead. Ethan Horvath had managed to keep out Adam Armstrong’s initial effort, but Aribo showed good composure to strike the rebound home.

If it had not have been for the heroics of American goalkeeper Horvath the game could have been out of sight by the break. His form, and the lack of finishing skills from Southampton’s players, meant there was still only a goal in it at half-time.

Two terrible back passes, firstly from Rubin Colwill and then from Ollie Tanner, put Horvath under huge pressure. He saw Adam Armstrong shoot over the top from the first and then watched in amazement and relief as David Brooks failed to beat him from point blank range with the second.

It ended up as 12 shots to four in favour of the visitors in the first half alone, with six of them on target.

The pressure continued after the break with shot after shot whistling past the home posts.

Just short of the hour mark Adam Armstrong had a diving header at the far post from a Che Adams cross superbly saved on the line by Horvath as Cardiff once again rode their luck.

With the score still delicately poised going into the final quarter Southampton were in danger of getting caught out due to their failure to finish their chances and so it proved in the 68th minute when a neat raid down the right flank saw 21-year-old substitute wing back Raheem Conte make a name for himself on his debut.

He raced to the byline, crossed into the danger zone and Famara Diedhiou side-footed home the equaliser.

What had been a stroll in the park for much of the game suddenly turned into a dog fight for the Saints in their battle for automatic promotion.

Alex McCarthy was then forced to tip over a a vicious shot from the right by Yakou Mete to keep the scores level and Cardiff became bolder and bolder as they pushed forward looking for a second.

It almost came from Diedhiou early on in the nine minutes of added time when he headed down from a Joe Ralls free kick on the right to force McCarthy into another important save.

Then came Ashford’s pile-driver from 25 yards that was helped on its way with a deflection past McCarthy.

Millwall effectively secured Sky Bet Championship football next season after former Sunderland forward Duncan Watmore’s second-half strike at the Stadium of Light earned a 1-0 win.

In a game of few chances, Watmore, who had only been on the pitch four minutes, pounced to deliver the crucial goal that earned the Lions a third successive win.

Sunderland, however, saw their own winless run on home soil extended to six matches dating back to February 10.

The hosts threatened first and Millwall goalkeeper Matija Sarkic had to get down low to hold a drive from teenager Chris Rigg after he danced his way through the visiting defence.

Bradley Dack then created a couple of openings for Dan Ballard with some pinpoint deliveries but neither found the target.

Jobe Bellingham headed over another corner kick when he looked like he could at least test the Sarkic, but Millwall survived.

The Lions were struggling to create anything until former Sunderland midfielder George Honeyman’s set-piece was headed off target by Zian Flemming.

In a bid to improve things, Sunderland’s interim boss Mike Dodds pushed Bellingham up front for the second half as part of the changes brought about by replacing Dack with Trai Hume.

And Hume, operating at right wing-back, had the first effort after the restart when he drove a couple of feet over Sarkic’s bar from 22 yards.

In another attempt to lift the tempo by Dodds, Abdoullah Ba and Adil Aouchiche were brought on for the last half an hour.

Soon after that Sunderland thought they had the lead when Ryan Leonard somehow got in the way to block Callum Styles’ goalbound effort from Ba’s cross.

And in the 71st minute Millwall made the hosts pay when Ryan Longman’s low cross from the right was met by substitute Watmore, who had darted ahead of his markers to flick inside Anthony Patterson’s near post.

Bellingham almost deflected Brooke Norton-Cuffy’s cross into his own net in stoppage time but Millwall had already done enough to secure a vital three points.

Luke Chambers and Josh Magennis spoilt Portsmouth’s Sky Bet League One promotion party as Wigan beat the newly-crowned champions 2-1 at Fratton Park.

Pompey almost took the lead after six minutes when a poor backpass was intercepted by Colby Bishop, who tried to chip stranded goalkeeper Sam Tickle but put it well wide.

Wigan’s Jonny Smith hit a post in the 13th minute, but the visitors took the lead 10 minutes later when Chambers put the loose ball past Pompey goalkeeper Will Norris.

Latics should have gone two-up just before half-time as Norris parried Charlie Kelman’s powerful shot but Chambers put the follow-up wide.

Despite half-time substitutions, Pompey struggled to claw their way back into the game and Wigan looked to have sealed the win when Magennis beat Norris with seven minutes to go.

Kusini Yengi pulled one back for Pompey, but despite piling on the pressure in stoppage time they could not secure a 28th victory of the season.

Burton grabbed what could be a crucial three points in their fight against relegation in League One with a 3-2 win over Reading at the Pirelli Stadium.

Albion secured a first win on home soil in nine attempts and hauled themselves five points clear of Cheltenham, who have one game in hand.

Burton got off to a rapid start with two goals in the first 11 minutes.

Mason Bennett reacted quickest to Joe Powell’s low curling free-kick to smash home at the second attempt from inside the six-yard box in the fifth minute.

Mustapha Carayol chose the perfect time to curl home his first of the season with a superb effort from the edge of the box just six minutes later.

Reading always looked dangerous going forwards and it took a free-kick from skipper Lewis Wing to halve the deficit before Bobby Kamwa added a third for Albion just before half-time, blasting in from close range after Reading had failed to clear their lines.

The visitors scored again just before the hour mark when Sam Smith beat Max Crocombe from the penalty spot after Jasper Moon had been adjudged to have brought down Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan.

Albion survived a nervy final half hour as Reading pushed for an equaliser to give their survival hopes a massive boost.

Fleetwood’s relegation to League Two was confirmed despite their late 1-0 away victory against Leyton Orient.

Xavier Simons scored the only goal of the game three minutes into added time to secure victory for the visitors.

But Burton’s win at home to Reading sealed Fleetwood’s fate.

In a match of endeavour but lacking quality, Town almost took the lead early in the second half when a bullet header by Carl Johnston was punched clear by goalkeeper Sol Brynn from point-blank range.

The Orient keeper was soon extended again to keep out a Ryan Broom effort.

But Jay Lynch was the busier of the two keepers in the first half. He was fully extended when he tipped a 22-yard free-kick by Tom James over the bar and then pushing away a powerful drive by Ethan Galbraith.

Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu went on an enterprising run before his effort was collected by Brynn as Fleetwood pushed for a second-half winner.

It arrived when Simons collected a pass from Tommy Lonergan after Orient failed to clear their lines and neatly struck the ball past Brynn.

But it was not enough to take Fleetwood’s fight to the last weekend of the season.

Exeter boss Gary Caldwell hailed an “unbelievable” win after his side triumphed 2-1 away at Northampton despite playing the whole second half with 10 men.

Luke Harris steered the Grecians ahead at Sixfields but Ryan Woods saw red for violent conduct after clashing heads with Jon Guthrie on the stroke of half-time.

Northampton dominated possession in the second half but created little and even though Guthrie did bring them level, Exeter claimed all three points thanks to Will Aimson’s 83rd-minute winner.

“It was another brilliant display of character and team spirit,” said Caldwell. “I thought the way we started the game was excellent.

“We were surprised by their team, they showed us a lot of respect and changed formation and they locked onto our box and tried to stop us playing.

“But when we adjusted, I thought we caused them a lot of problems and we scored during that period and we could have scored more goals.

“The game then became a bit loose just before half-time and the sending off changes everything but this team fights and always finds a way and it was another unbelievable win.

“It’s not the first time we have won with 10 men this season and that’s all about resilience and character.”

On the red card, Caldwell said: “I think it’s really soft. There’s a coming together and he goes down very, very easily and the referee couldn’t wait to get his red card out.”

The defeat drops Northampton out of the top half of League One.

Manager Jon Brady said: “I actually thought we started really well. For 10 or 15 minutes we dominated the game, we stepped onto them and we had most of the ball.

“Exeter haven’t lost away from home since Christmas and they got back into it but we really stepped on the gas and we’ve hit the post and had shots cleared off the line.

“The goalkeeper’s put one onto the bar and another shot hits our player on the chest when it was going in so we should have scored two or three in that period, but we gave away a real sloppy goal for the first one.

“They then have a man sent off and they sit behind the ball and we get it back to 1-1 but did we really test their goal enough? Probably not.

“But then we give another goal away. We go to clear the ball and it hits their player on the foot and goes in. It’s disappointing because of course you want to finish with a win at home but it’s still been a brilliant season.”

Luton’s Premier League survival hopes were dealt an enormous blow after they suffered a 5-1 home defeat to Brentford, which virtually guaranteed the visitors of a fourth consecutive season in the top flight.

The 18th-placed Hatters could have moved out of the relegation zone with a win, but were undone by a slick attacking display from the Bees led by Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo.

With Ivan Toney not involved due to his ongoing hip issue, Thomas Frank watched his fluid front four run riot at Kenilworth Road with Wissa on target twice in the first half to reach 10 goals for the campaign.

Ethan Pinnock made the points safe with a third in the 62nd minute before Keane Lewis-Potter claimed a deserved goal two minutes later.

The brilliant Mbeumo had a hand in Brentford’s fifth when Kevin Schade fired home after 86 minutes and despite a stoppage-time consolation for Luke Berry, the afternoon belonged to Brentford after they moved on to 35 points – 10 above Rob Edwards’ strugglers with four matches left.

Luton were boosted before kick-off with Gabriel Osho and Albert Sambi Lokonga surprisingly declared fit and a raucous atmosphere greeted the players, but it was the visitors who started the strongest.

The fit-again Pinnock headed wide before Lewis-Potter squandered a golden opportunity when he fired into the side-netting after being played through by Mikkel Damsgaard.

While the Hatters responded with Alfie Doughty able to test Mark Flekken, Brentford continued to create chances and Thomas Kaminski produced a fine save to thwart Lewis-Potter’s 19th-minute header after an excellent Sergio Reguilon cross.

It felt only a matter of time before the Bees’ attacking quartet punished the home team and it duly arrived with 24 minutes played.

A crucial interception by Kristoffer Ajer found Mbeumo in space and he touched on for Wissa, who rifled beyond Kaminski from 20 yards for a superb opener.

Luton almost equalised immediately when Jordan Clark played through to Tahith Chong, but he smashed over before they suffered another setback when Issa Kabore went off with an ankle injury.

Brentford continued to threaten and only a block by Teden Mengi denied Lewis-Potter after a dangerous run before a sumptuous curled effort by Mbeumo smashed against the crossbar.

Yet Luton’s luck did run out in first-half stoppage-time as Mbeumo dribbled into the area and his cross rolled into the path of Wissa, who scuffed home.

Edwards reacted by bringing on Berry, but Brentford’s attacking prowess remained the difference and Kaminski had to be alert to save Damsgaard’s low strike before the hour mark.

A third goal came soon after when Pinnock powered in a header from Reguilon’s corner, which sparked ‘we are staying up’ chants by the away fans.

Two minutes later they had a fourth to celebrate after Damsgaard’s lofted pass found Mbeumo, who knocked on for Lewis-Potter to head home at the back post.

Mbeumo had been superb and he was again involved in Brentford’s fifth after his defence-splitting pass found Vitaly Janelt, who set up Schade for a simple tap-in.

Luton did have the final say as Berry latched onto a mistake to round Flekken and make it 5-1 in the second minute of added time, but their hopes of beating the drop look even slimmer now despite being applauded off by the home fans at full-time.

Garath McCleary scored twice as Wycombe made it three away wins on the spin with a 3-1 victory at relegated Carlisle.

It has been a fine week on the road for Matt Bloomfield’s side, who have secured nine points from a possible nine to stretch their unbeaten league run away from home to five games.

Joe Low knocked Luke Leahy’s deep cross back across goal for McCleary to open the scoring in the 15th minute.

The lead barely lasted five minutes as Jon Mellish’s cross bounced across the box and Alfie McCalmont was on hand to level for the hosts.

Wanderers restored their lead four minutes after the restart as teenager Richard Kone bundled the ball home from close range after hesitation in the box.

McCleary finished off the game with 15 minutes to go as he completed a team move with a fine header. Kone’s deft flick allowed Kieran Sadlier to race away on the left before Leahy put the ball on a plate for McCleary’s second.

Ozan Tufan’s penalty blunder left Hull facing a mammoth task to make the play-offs after a 0-0 draw at Watford.

Home keeper Daniel Bachmann saved the Turkish forward’s spot-kick in the 11th minute of a lacklustre match and now the Tigers, who have three games to play, are six points off the top six.

Hull had started the day desperate for points to keep in touch with the promotion pack.

Fifth-placed West Brom’s defeat at Leicester in the lunchtime kick-off gave the Tigers an extra incentive and they looked full of purpose at the start.

Watford were given a taste of what to expect when Matty Jacob’s well-flighted pass to Jaden Philogene completely took out right-back Ryan Andrews. Unfortunately for Philogene, his cross was easily gathered by Bachmann.

Soon after, Philogene earned a talking-to from referee Ben Toner for bundling over Hornets defender Ryan Porteous in the Watford penalty area.

Then Hull were were presented with a golden opportunity – and wasted it.

Abdulkadir Omur and Tufan combined to send Fabio Carvalho racing into the box from the left, where Wesley Hoedt brought him down.

Tufan, once rejected after a trial at Watford, stepped up to take the spot-kick in front of the home end and was taunted by the Hornets supporters.

That might have unnerved him – or it could have been Watford’s defenders agitating because the ball was not on the penalty spot – but Bachmann guessed correctly, diving to his left to keep out the kick to the joy of the home fans.

Predictably, that fired up Watford, with Yaser Asprilla and Emmanuel Dennis trying their luck.

But the visitors always looked more dangerous in the final third, and Bachmann rescued the Hornets again midway through the first half. Tufan came close to redeeming himself with a close-range backheel but Austrian stopper Bachmann somehow got down to the foot of his right-hand post in time to keep it out.

Watford, chasing their first home win since November 28 – this was their 12th attempt – just could not match Hull’s attacking menace and the home side reached the break without a shot on target.

Tufan did finally manage to get the ball into the net in the 52nd minute only to be foiled by a late offside flag.

Andrews’ shot on the hour whistled wide of the post – meaning Watford still had not troubled Tigers keeper Ryan Allsop.

Finally, in the 64rd minute, Allsop had a save to make – but it was so easy from Ismael Kone’s soft, low shot.

Watford looked woefully short of ideas, and soon after, Vakoun Bayo’s attempt to score with a header almost hit a corner flag.

Substitute Mileta Rajovic livened up Watford after coming on in the 72nd minute, winning a free-kick after being bundled over by Alfie Jones and forcing a flying save from Allsop with a 25-yard free-kick.

Hull sub Liam Delap matched that with a shot across the box that flashed just wide of the far post.

Then, with six minutes of normal time left, Bachmann made a crucial save from a Carvalho free-kick.

Blackpool kept their play-off hopes alive with a 3-2 win over fellow promotion chasers Barnsley.

Sonny Carey gave Blackpool the lead on 12 minutes with a curling shot from 25 yards out that found the corner.

A James Husband header from Karamoko Dembele’s pinpoint free-kick put Blackpool 2-0 up on the stroke of half-time, while Hayden Coulson smashed one into the roof of the net just after the restart.

John McAtee pulled one back for Barnsley to give them a glimmer of hope midway through the second half, steering into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Adam Phillips then set up a nervy finish in added time when he fired into the corner, but Neil Critchley’s side held on.

The Seasiders need to win their final game of the season away to Reading, and hope that both Lincoln and Oxford drop points in order to secure a place in the top six, while fifth-place Barnsley know a win will be enough.

Aaron Collins and substitute Cameron Jerome kept Bolton’s hopes of automatic promotion alive with second-half goals in a 2-0 win that sealed Port Vale’s relegation from Skybet League One.

Ian Evatt’s side missed a succession of chances and hit the woodwork three times before Collins broke the deadlock after 72 minutes.

A rising right foot shot brought Collins’ sixth goal in five games and his eighth since joining the Trotters in January. Veteran Jerome added a second in stoppage time.

Bolton must beat play-off rivals Peterborough on the final day of the season and hope Derby slip up against relegated Carlisle, with a favourable goal swing, to stand a chance of going up.

In contrast, Vale will return to the fourth tier, two years after gaining promotion.

Darren Moore’s side won only 10 of their 45 games, achieving five of those victories in the first six weeks of the season.

For manager Moore, Vale’s demotion comes just over a year since he guided Sheffield Wednesday into the Championship with a play-off final success against Barnsley.

Shrewsbury ensured a 10th successive campaign in League One after their 1-1 draw at Charlton.

The visitors have not won in six matches, drawing four times, but sharing the spoils at The Valley was enough to secure safety.

Dan Udoh put Shrewsbury ahead in the 23rd minute with his 11th goal of the season, slotting smartly across Addicks keeper Harry Isted.

Before that Town had gone close when Morgan Feeney’s header hit the left post with the ball rebounding on to Tunmise Sobowale and once again coming back off the woodwork.

Charlton levelled almost instantly after the restart. Addicks captain George Dobson, who has signed a pre-contract agreement to join Hungarian club Fehervar, raced on to Connor Wickham’s through ball and confidently went past Shrewsbury keeper Marko Marosi to finish into an unguarded net.

Addicks midfielder Karoy Anderson headed over from close range after meeting Thierry Small’s cross from the left shortly before the hour mark while Marosi got down well to parry away substitute Daniel Kanu’s strike.

Charlton extended their unbeaten run to 14 league matches, 10 of them draws.

Huddersfield remain in the Championship relegation zone with just two games left to play after suffering an extremely damaging 4-0 defeat at home to in-form Swansea.

Second-half goals from Jamal Lowe, Ronald, Jerry Yates and Liam Walsh secured a third consecutive win for the Swans, and leaves the Terriers in the bottom three.

Their penultimate game of the season sees them welcome Birmingham – the team directly above them in the league table – to the John Smith’s Stadium in what is likely to be a decisive encounter in the battle against the drop.

Swansea manager Luke Williams named an unchanged side from the recent home wins over Stoke and Rotherham.

And they came closest to opening the scoring in a fairly uneventful first-half, with Jay Fulton’s low driven shot in the 28th minute well saved by Lee Nicholls and put behind for a corner that came to nothing.

There was also a brilliant chance for team-mate Liam Cullen just before half-time, but he sent a free header wide from Josh Tymon’s cross.

Huddersfield, who were also unchanged from the team that started the 1-1 draw away at Bristol City last time out, registered a couple of attempts before the break but Josh Koroma and Jack Rudoni were able to hit the target.

Cullen again threatened to put the visitors ahead early in the second-half as his left-footed shot from the edge of the box clipped the right-hand post.

Down at the other end, Delano Burgzorg pounced on a loose back-pass from Ben Cabango and rounded onrushing goalkeeper Carl Rushworth, but his shot was blocked and Swansea managed to avert the danger.

Both sides made three substitutions shortly after the hour mark in an attempt to find the breakthrough.

And Huddersfield should have gone ahead in the 69th minute, when Koroma blazed his effort over the crossbar after the ball fell kindly for him inside the area.

It proved to be a very costly miss as four minutes later, Swansea substitute Lowe – who had been on the pitch for less than 10 minutes – found the bottom corner from the left of the box after latching onto Jamie Paterson’s pass.

The hosts thought they had equalised in the 80th minute as substitute Danny Ward’s effort hit the inside of the right-hand post and the ball flew straight back across the line and out for a goal kick.

They were punished again for their profligacy in the closing stages, with Brazilian Ronald finishing into an empty net after Tymon drove forward and laid it on for him perfectly.

Extra gloss was added by substitutes Yates and Walsh in stoppage time, with the former tapping in from close range and the latter looping a shot from distance beyond the reach of Nicholls.