Real Madrid will look to build pressure on La Liga leaders Barcelona when they travel to El Madrigal for their Matchday 28 clash with Villarreal on Saturday, 15 March.
Los Blancos and the Blaugrana are level on 57 points, but the Catalans have a game in hand.
Villarreal vs Real Madrid Preview
Villarreal
The Yellow Submarine have been a joy to watch this season. They have attacked in numbers and defended with all their might, never surrendering even an inch of space. Marcelino’s side have amassed 44 points from 26 La Liga matches so far and find themselves in fifth place in the rankings. Fourth-placed Athletic Club are sitting five points ahead after playing one game more.
Villarreal are coming into Saturday’s match on the back of a shock 1-0 defeat to Deportivo Alaves. The defeat against the 10-man Basque outfit at the Mendizorroza ended Villarreal’s six-game unbeaten run (4 W, 2 D) in the Spanish top flight.
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti’s side, meanwhile, have failed to impress this year. Sure, they are still in the running for the Treble, but their football has been far from impressive. In their last five La Liga matches, Los Merengues have won two times, drawn two games, and lost once. Capitalizing on their lacklustre showings, Barca have established themselves as the frontrunners in the title race.
In their previous La Liga meeting, Real Madrid secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano. However, their performance was far from satisfactory. They also failed to deliver in their midweek Champions League Round of 16 clash against Atletico Madrid.
Despite fielding their strongest XI, Madrid suffered a 1-0 defeat at the Metropolitano Stadium. They ultimately emerged victorious following a controversial penalty shootout.
Villarreal vs Real Madrid Team News and Lineups
Villarreal
The hosts will be without Ilias Akhomach (ACL) while their captain Gerard Moreno (knock) is pushing to recover in time for Madrid’s visit.
Potential XI: Conde; Foyth, Kambwala, Costa, Cardona; Pino, Gueye, Parejo, Baena; Pepe, Ayoze
Real Madrid
Los Blancos, meanwhile, will continue to operate without Dani Carvajal (ACL), Eder Militao (ACL), and Dani Ceballos (hamstring). Jude Bellingham and Ferland Mendy could also start on the bench after picking up knocks against Atletico.
Potential XI: Courtois; Vazquez, Asencio, Alaba, Garcia; Tchouameni, Camavinga, Brahim; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius
Villarreal vs Real Madrid Head-to-Head History
The two teams have met 52 times in all competitions. Madrid have won 29 games, Villarreal six, while 17 matches have ended all square.
In their previous meeting earlier this season, the All-Whites came away with a 2-0 victory.
Villarreal vs Real Madrid Prediction
Villarreal have been excellent at home whereas Real Madrid have struggled to deliver on the road. We expect a tight game on Saturday, with the two teams ultimately sharing spoils.
Our prediction: Villarreal 1-1 Real Madrid
