Real Madrid will look to reclaim the summit of La Liga when they take on Villarreal at Estadio de la Ceramica on Saturday.
The games continue to come thick and fast across Europe after the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In Spain, La Liga will move into Matchday 16 of the 2022/23 season this week. And the action on Saturday will begin with a blockbuster affair between Villarreal and Real Madrid at Estadio de la Ceramica.
Quique Setien has brought a sense of stability to Villarreal after initial hiccups. The 64-year-old replaced Unai Emery in August after his compatriot joined Aston Villa. The Spanish giants failed to win their first four games under Setien, including three successive losses. But they have been on a five-game unbeaten run since then, climbing to seventh on the table as a result.
On the other hand, Real Madrid will be in contention to win every trophy this year. The Merengues have lost only two of their 23 games thus far this season and are level on points with Barcelona atop La Liga. And they kicked off their Copa del Rey campaign this week by beating CP Cacereno 1-0.
The corresponding fixture last season ended in a goalless stalemate, with Real Madrid failing to trouble the scorers despite dominating the game against Villarreal. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Villarreal
Training in front of the fans 💛! pic.twitter.com/bx6Yo1EMSZ
— Villarreal CF English (@VillarrealCFen) January 5, 2023
Quique Setien does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of the visit of Real Madrid. On Saturday, the Villarreal manager will be bereft of the services of two first-team players.
Giovani Lo Celso remains a long-term absentee due to a hamstring injury. In addition, Francis Coquelin might be unavailable due to a knock. Meanwhile, Villarreal will host Real Madrid without Geronimo Rulli, who will soon officially be an Ajax player. So Pepe Reina will make only his second appearance in La Liga this term, taking his place between the sticks.
The hosts will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of the veteran goalkeeper. And the defensive unit will see Juan Foyth and Pau Torres combine in the centre-back partnership. Alberto Moreno and Kiko Femenia should be the two full-backs, with the duo having the license to express themselves in the final third.
Etienne Capoue and Dani Parejo will form a defensive-minded double pivot in the middle of the park. And that will enable the attacking quartet to have more freedom in the final third. The said players should be Samuel Chukwueze, Alex Baena, Yeremy Pino, and Arnaut Danjuma, with Danjuma spearheading the Villarreal attack against Real Madrid.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Reina; Femenia, Foyth, Pau Torres, Moreno; Capoue, Parejo; Chukwueze, Baena, Pino; Danjuma
Real Madrid
Like his counterpart in the Villarreal dugout, Carlo Ancelotti does not have many pressing issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Estadio de la Ceramica. The Real Madrid manager will be without two first-team players on Saturday.
Dani Carvajal will be the notable absentee from the travelling squad due to some physical discomfort. But the veteran Spanish full-back will soon be in contention to represent Los Blancos. Mariano Diaz (knock) is the only other Real Madrid player on the sidelines.
📋✅ Our squad for #VillarrealRealMadrid! pic.twitter.com/nNSUQBVLEd
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 6, 2023
Lucas Vazquez should deputise for Carvajal as the right-back, with Ferland Mendy starting on the left flank. Eder Militao and David Alaba should pair up at the heart of the Real Madrid defence, with Thibaut Courtois taking his place between the sticks.
Ancelotti should line his side up with his strongest midfield partnership for the first time since the season resumed. So Luka Modric and Toni Kroos will join Aurelien Tchouameni in the middle of the park. And the veteran midfield duo will pull the strings for Real Madrid against Villarreal.
Federico Valverde tends to start on the right flank in the big games. And with Villarreal enjoying a brilliant run of form, the Uruguayan international will take up his modified role. Finally, Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior pick themselves to complete the offensive unit.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Vazquez, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Modric, Tchouameni, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius
Key Stats
- Villarreal have not won any of their last nine games against Real Madrid in La Liga (D6 L3) since a 1-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu in January 2018, with both of their most recent two matches finishing goalless. Against no opponent have they recorded three straight goalless draws in the competition.
- Villarreal have not lost their first La Liga game of a year in the last 13 years (W7 D6), winning the matches in 2020, 2021 and 2022, and last losing 0-1 to Real Madrid in 2009.
- Following the loss to Getafe in 2022 (1-0), Real Madrid could lose their first La Liga game of a year in consecutive years for the first time since defeats in 1948 against CD Alcoyano (2-1) and in 1949 against FC Barcelona (3-1).
- Villarreal are unbeaten in their last ten matches against teams from the Madrid region in La Liga (W5 D5), their best run against such opponents in the competition. They have kept six clean sheets in those ten outings.
- Karim Benzema has scored eight goals in 18 meetings with Villarreal in La Liga. But only one of those has been away, scoring that away goal in January 2019 in a 2-2 draw.
Prediction
Marco Asensio
Asensio is at a crossroads in his career. And he is running out of chances to show Real Madrid why he deserves a bumper new contract. Considering the Spaniard will not get many starts in such big games, he will have very little game time to show his worth.
Nonetheless, Asensio will get another opportunity to prove that he is cut out to make his mark for Real Madrid. Recent reports have suggested that the Merengues are considering offering him a new three-year contract. And Asensio can force Real Madrid’s hand with a game-changing display in what might be a close contest with Villarreal.
Prediction
Villarreal 0-1 Real Madrid
Villarreal’s fortunes have improved considerably under Quique Setien. So they will be a hard nut to crack for Real Madrid this weekend. The former Barcelona manager has several game-changers in his squad, and Real Madrid cannot take the Yellow Submarine lightly.
The hosts had also given Los Blancos a run for their money in the two fixtures last season. But Real Madrid should have enough quality to eke out a narrow win here. Expect a substitute to make his mark and deliver the three points for the reigning champions. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-0 victory for Carlo Ancelotti’s charges.
