Real Madrid vs Villareal Match Preview

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Real Madrid will be looking to bounce back in La Liga this weekend when they welcome in-form Villarreal to the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday night.

Los Blancos currently sit second in the table with 18 points from their opening seven matches, just one behind leaders Barcelona. Villarreal aren’t far behind either — Marcelino’s men have made an excellent start and are third with 16 points from the same number of games.

Madrid opened the campaign in dominant fashion, stringing together six straight wins against Osasuna, Real Oviedo, Mallorca, Real Sociedad, Espanyol, and Levante. However, their perfect run came to a crashing halt last weekend as they suffered a heavy 5-2 defeat in the Madrid derby at the hands of Atletico.

That setback saw them surrender top spot to Barcelona, though Xabi Alonso’s side remain firmly in the mix. They’ve also started strongly in Europe, recording Champions League wins over Marseille and Kairat to collect six points from two group-stage games. After Villarreal, Madrid face Getafe away following the international break, before hosting Juventus in a blockbuster European clash on October 22.

Recent history favors the hosts, with Madrid beating Villarreal twice in La Liga last season, including a 2-0 home success. Still, they will remember the 3-2 defeat at the Bernabéu in 2022–23 as a reminder that the Yellow Submarine can be dangerous.

Villarreal, meanwhile, head into the game on a strong domestic run. They’ve won three straight league games against Osasuna, Sevilla, and Athletic Bilbao, with their only defeat so far coming away to Atletico Madrid. In Europe, they battled to a 2-2 draw with Juventus in midweek, meaning they’ve taken just one point from their first two Champions League fixtures.

Marcelino’s side finished fifth last season, but with rivals like Athletic Bilbao stumbling, Villarreal sense a real opportunity to push for a Champions League place this term. While their record against Madrid is poor overall, just six wins in 53 meetings, they have held their own recently, losing only three of their last eight encounters with Los Blancos.

INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Real Madrid will once again be missing several key players this weekend, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, and Antonio Rüdiger all ruled out. However, there is better news on Éder Militão, who is expected to shake off an ankle problem and return to the squad.

Xabi Alonso is likely to freshen things up after last week’s derby setback, and a switch to a back three is on the cards to cover for defensive absences. That could see Aurélien Tchouaméni drop into the backline. In midfield, both Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga are set to start, while in attack, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior may form a two-man strike partnership in a 3-4-1-2 setup. Federico Valverde is also pushing for a recall amid continued talk about his long-term future.

For Villarreal, Logan Costa, Willy Kambwala, Juan Foyth, and Pau Cabanes remain sidelined with injuries, while Ayoze Pérez and Gerard Moreno are facing late fitness tests and remain doubtful. If Pérez cannot recover in time, Georges Mikautadze is expected to lead the line again, potentially supported by Nicolas Pépé.

Head coach Marcelino is also expected to rotate following their midweek draw with Juventus. Goalkeeper Luiz Júnior should return between the sticks, while Sergi Cardona, Thomas Partey, Alberto Moleiro, and Ilias Akhomach are all in contention to start at the Bernabéu.

POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Militao, Huijsen, Tchouameni; Valverde, Guler, Camavinga, Carreras; Bellingham; Vinicius, Mbappe

Villarreal possible starting lineup:
Junior; Mourino, Veiga, Marin, S Cardona; Akhomach, Partey, Gueye, Moleiro; Mikautadze, Pepe

EXPERT PREDICTIONS
Real Madrid 2-1 Villareal
 

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