Champions Real Madrid will look to continue their dominance in La Liga when they hit the road to face ninth-placed Villarreal.
Real Madrid, who have only lost one league game this season, will be looking to secure their 30th win of the season when they come up against a high-flying Villarreal, who have won four out of their last five games.
Villarreal have accumulated 51 points in their 36 outings and are currently ninth on the points table. Despite their incredible late run, qualifying for Europe looks beyond their reach as they are six points behind sixth-placed Real Sociedad with just two games to go.
The Yellow Submarine are heading into this fixture on the back of consecutive wins. The home team got the better of third-placed Girona in their last outing, and they will be confident about their chances in this fixture.
Los Blancos do not really have anything to play for as they sit at the top of the table with 93 points out of their 36 matches. They will look to ensure they keep the momentum going as they prepare for an all-important UEFA Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund.
They have won each of their last five league games and have been unbeaten since their 4-2 defeat in the Copa del Rey at the hands of rivals Atletico Madrid at the start of the year. While Ancelotti will look to rotate his squad, they are still favourites for this one. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Villarreal
Kiko Femenia has been suspended for this fixture after being sent off in their last outing. They have a lengthy injury list with Raul Albiol, Francis Coquelin, Alfonso Pedraza, Gerard Moreno, Juan Foyth, Denis Suarez, and Yeremy Pino all sidelined.
The home team will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, with Filip Jorgensen in goal. Jorge Cuenca and Ramon Terrats will start as the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Eric Bailly will feature alongside Yerson Mosquera.
Bertrand Traore and Alex Baena will feature out wide in the midfield unit. They will look to help their full-back deal with Los Blancos wide players. Meanwhile, Dani Parejo and Santi Comesana will pair in a more central role. In attack, Goncalo Guedes will start alongside Alexander Sorloth. They will look to find the back of the net against the best defence in the league.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Jorgensen; Cuenca, Bailly, Mosquera, Terrats; Traore, Comesana, Parejo, Baena; Guedes, Sorloth
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti will be without the services of David Alaba and Aurelien Tchouameni. Apart from the duo, everyone else is expected to be fit for this one. The Italian manager is expected to make numerous changes to the XI that started in their last outing as he looks to get the entire squad ready for the UEFA Champions League final.
They will stick to the 4-4-2 formation, with Andriy Lunin making a return in goal. Lucas Vazquez and Fran Garcia should be the full-back pairing for this one. In the heart of the defence, Antonio Rudiger should feature alongside Nacho Fernandez.
Eduardo Camavinga should be the defensive midfielder in this one, while Dani Ceballos and Luka Modric will be in his support. Jude Bellingham could feature from the start with him in contention for the top scorers award. In-form Brahim Diaz should return to the starting XI and feature up top alongside Joselu.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Lunin; Vazquez, Rudiger, Nacho, Fran Garcia; Ceballos, Camavinga, Modric; Bellingham; Brahim, Joselu
Key Stats
- Real Madrid won the reverse fixture 4-1 earlier in the season and will look for a league double over Villarreal.
- Los Blancos have been unbeaten in their last 30 league games. They have equalled their previous best which was achieved back in the 1988-89 season.
- Villarreal have won four of their last five games at Estadio de la Ceramica.
- Real Madrid have the best attack in the league having scored 83 goals.
- Carlo Ancelotti’s team have the best defence in the league. They have only conceded 22 goals so far.
Player to Watch
Jude Bellingham
The English international has had an exceptional debut season at Real Madrid. He has been one of the standout players for them and has contributed towards 25 goals in his 27 league outings. The 20-year-old is in contention for the Pichichi trophy, having bagged 19 goals. Bellingham is one behind Girona ace Artem Dovbyk and with two games to go, he will surely have one eye on the top scorer’s award.
Prediction
Villarreal 0-3 Real Madrid
Los Blancos have been in sensational form, and they have dominated almost every opponent they have squared up against in the ongoing season. Real Madrid have won each of their last five league games and will look to continue their winning streak.
Having beaten Girona in their last outing, Villarreal will be confident about their chances, and they will surely make things difficult for the team in white. But, given the kind of form the majority of the Real Madrid players are in they might ease for the home team. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for the visitors.
