Real Madrid will aim to close the gap on Barcelona as they take on third-placed Villarreal in a top-three clash in La Liga.
Real Madrid have had a sensational start to their season, and that loss to Atletico Madrid should not cloud their performances in the opening phase as they prepare to host Villarreal this weekend. After winning their first six La Liga encounters, Xabi Alonso’s side lost heavily to their local rivals in the Madrid Derby last weekend, with the 5-2 scoreline probably a factor that has dimmed the mood around the Bernabeu.
However, they have since made amends with a heavy win over Champions League newcomers Kairat Almaty, as Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick, and Eduardo Camavinga and Brahim Diaz added further to that tally. However, in the aftermath of the defeat to Atletico Madrid, Alonso’s side slipped into second spot while handing top place to Barcelona.
Real Madrid can reclaim their old spot at the summit with a win over their next opponents, Villarreal, as Barcelona will only play on Sunday. Hence, Alonso and his men must keep themselves in proximity, as the Real Madrid boss will eye a morale-boosting win before the upcoming international break.
Meanwhile, Marcelino continued to impress with his project at Villarreal, with the Yellow Submarines now with a chance to go above Real Madrid in the standings. Having registered one win less than their upcoming hosts, Villarreal’s only loss came against Atletico Madrid after the end of the most recent international break.
The Yellow Submarines now trail Real Madrid by only two points and remain three points off Barcelona. A win at the Bernabeu would take Marcelino’s men above Alonso’s side in the table, but they might stay second considering the Catalans boast a huge goal difference.
There’s a genuine chance to fulfil their objectives of finishing at least in fourth place, as other rivals such as Athletic Club have had a fluctuating start to their season. There are plenty of improvements needed in the Champions League, where Villarreal earned their first point after two games with an eventful 2-2 draw against Juventus, as that game will serve them well when making the trip to the Spanish Capital on Saturday.
Team News & Tactics
Real Madrid
Alonso has many key stars missing through injuries, headlined by Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger and Ferland Mendy. The defensive injuries could force the Spaniard to utiles a different shape, as he might go with a back three regularly in the near future.
Federico Valverde could be shifted to a wing-back role to the right, with Alvaro Carreras on the other wing. Aurelien Tchuameni, Dean Huijsen and the fit-again Eder Militao could form a solid back three. Alonso might look to replicate his main style in Germany here, as he’s likely to trust Arda Guler and Eduardo Camavinga with the keys to the midfield.
A formidable front three of sorts will have Bellingham operating in a freer role behind Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe. The front two potentially benefit from such a system, and Alonso can trust them to get the goals.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2) – Courtois; Militao, Huijsen, Tchouameni; Valverde, Guler, Camavinga, Carreras; Bellingham; Mbappe, Vinicius
Villarreal
Marcelino comes with his fair share of injury troubles. Juan Foyth, Willy Kambwala, Pau Cabanes and Logan Costa are ruled out. Ayeze Perz and Gerardo Moreno are major doubts for Villarreal. Nicolas Pepe could start up front, alongside Georges Mikautadze.
Thomas Partey will marshal the midfield alongside Pape Gueye. Ilias Akhomach andAlberto Moliero will provide the width in what could be Marcelino’s iteration of a 4-4-2.
Renato Veiga and Rafa Marin are the centre-backs expected to start, with Santiago Mourino and Sergi Cardona in the full-back roles.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2) – Junior; Mourino, Veiga, Marin, Cardona; Akhomach, Partey, Gueye, Moleiro; Mikautadze, Pepe
Key Stats
Real Madrid are undefeated in 22 of their last 24 home matches against Villarreal in all competitions.
Real Madrid have scored at least 2 goals in their last 6 matches against Villarreal in all competitions.
Villarreal have won 11 of their last 13 matches in La Liga.
Villarreal have incredibly only won six of their previous 53 matches against Real Madrid across all competitions.
Player to Watch
Kylian Mbappe
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Mbappe has had a terrific start to his season after 14 goals in 10 games. He scored the hat-trick against Kairat, and that should keep pushing him to achieve different levels, as he could spearhead Alonso’s attack. The Frenchman will be keen to carry on with the momentum.
He needs to keep taking his game to a different level and showcase that he’s the in-form marksman in Europe at the moment. Mbappe will be the biggest threat to Villarreal, especially in his current form.
Prediction
Real Madrid 2-1 Villarreal
There are many positives from Villareal’s season so far, but they must showcase their resilience against big teams. The midweek draw against Juventus will have boosted the confidence, but taking on Real Madrid might not work out for Marcelino.
Alonso has many key injuries, but he has the depth of stars he can use in a different style than before. The likes of Bellingham bring a balance to the midfield and attacking setup, which may see Mbappe and Vinicius make the best out of a Villarreal defense. While Real Madrid are expected to win, they might do so with a narrow scoreline.