Real Madrid were in hot pursuit of rivals Barcelona before the Spanish league season was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Sat two points behind the leaders and defending champions with 11 La Liga games to play, Madrid defeated Barca 2-0 in the penultimate match before the season was halted - the best pictures of which are in the photo gallery above - and are aiming to win their first league title since 2017.
Those hopes would be dashed if the season was cancelled as Spanish football authorities have confirmed that the current standings would be deemed final if the campaign could not be finished due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
However, Real Madrid and the rest of Spain's top two division clubs have been handed a significant boost that the season - provisionally scheduled to resume on June 12 - will be completed after players returned to training amid stringent health and safety measures.
And based on Real Madrid's social media accounts, the squad is hard at work this week after the Spanish government allowed the resumption of group training sessions, having previously limited players to individual programmes.
One player Real Madrid and their fans will be happy to see back at full training is Eden Hazard, whose debut season at the Bernabeu since arriving for €100 million (Dh402m) from Chelsea has been one of injury setbacks and frustration.
Meanwhile, Spanish midfielder Isco already looks sharp - if the drill in the video below is anything to go by.
The goalkeepers - Thibaut Courtois, Alphonse Areola, and Diego Altube Suarez - have also been grinding, working on their reflexes and agility as they prepare for competitive action to restart.
Rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have also returned to group training sessions as clubs await the final approval to resume the season.
