Reigning Spanish champions Real Madrid will be bidding to make it three straight La Liga victories when they face Villarreal on Saturday afternoon.
Preview
Los Blancos are presently 2nd in the table, level on factors (38) with leaders Barcelona, while Villarreal occupy seventh position, one thing behind sixth-placed Real Betis in develop of the subsequent set of fixtures.
Villarreal have had their problems this season, however the Yellow Submarine have received their closing two in the league, inclusive of a 2-1 success over Valencia remaining weekend, which moved them onto 24 factors from 15 matches.
Quique Setien’s aspect are fully one point at the returned of sixth-placed Real Betis and simply three at the again of fourth-placed Atletico Madrid, so they are in a stable feature at this stage of the campaign, and a victory over the champions on Saturday afternoon would be any other large step in the applicable direction.
Villarreal had been in Copa del Rey motion on Tuesday, recording a 5-1 victory over FC Cartagena to tightly closed their spot in the last-16 stage of the competition.
The Yellow Submarine are also competing in the Europa Conference League this season, progressing to the knockout spherical of the competition through topping Group C with 13 factors from six matches.
Villarreal, who have finished fifth, seventh and seventh in their closing three La Liga campaigns, have genuinely held Real Madrid to goalless attracts in their closing two league meetings, then again they have now now not managed to overcome the capital outfit in Spain’s pinnacle flight seeing that a 1-0 success at Bernabeu in January 2018.
Real Madrid have now not lost away to Villarreal when you consider that December 2015, which is a wonderful run of outcomes in opposition to the Yellow Submarine on the road, and they will be bidding to lengthen that record on Saturday afternoon.
Carlo Ancelotti’s aspect were decrease back in La Liga motion in opposition to Real Valladolid on December 30, recording a 2-0 victory courtesy of a late double from Karim Benzema, and the give up end result moved the reigning champions onto 38 factors from their 15 matches, which is the same as leaders Barcelona at this stage.
Barcelona are in motion in opposition to Atletico Madrid on Sunday, so Real Madrid will have the risk to as soon as greater bypass to the summit with a win here, and Los Blancos have the pleasant away report in La Liga this season, selecting up 21 factors from their eight suits on their travels.
Real Madrid additionally performed in the Copa del Rey earlier this week, progressing to the spherical of sixteen courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Cacereno, with Rodrygo netting the entirely purpose of the contest in the 69th minute.
Ancelotti’s facet are making ready to enter a busy run of matches, as they will face Valencia in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals on January 10 in the past of a workable last toward Barcelona or Real Betis, while they will additionally take on Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad in the league earlier than the give up of the month.
Team News
Villarreal will be lacking Giovani Lo Celso on Saturday afternoon due to a hamstring problem, while Francis Coquelin is also a principal doubt for the home side here.
There will be adjustments to the facet that commenced in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday, with Juan Foyth, Etienne Capoue, Samuel Chukwueze, Dani Parejo, Pau Torres, Alberto Moreno and Yeremi Pino all set to return.
However, there will be no Geronimo Rulli, who is on the verge of making the go to Ajax.
As a result, Pepe Reina is set to characteristic between the sticks for simply the second time in La Liga this season.
As for Real Madrid, Mariano Diaz is once more envisioned to miss out with an ankle issue, while Dani Carvajal ought to as soon as more be absent due to a minor issue, so Lucas Vazquez is in line to commence at right-back.
There had been some fears over Thibaut Courtois’s availability, however the Belgium worldwide is in form to commence in intention for the Spanish and European champions.
There will be wholesale modifications to the aspect that commenced out in the Copa del Rey last time out, with David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Federico Valverde, Benzema and Vinicius Junior all set to return to the starting crew for this contest.
Line-up
Villarreal manageable starting lineup:
Reina; Femenia, Foyth, P Torres, Moreno; Capoue, Parejo; Chukwueze, Baena, Pino; Danjuma
Real Madrid possible opening lineup:
Courtois; Vazquez, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Modric, Tchouameni, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius