Match Preview

Real Madrid host the second of their consecutive home matches this week as they take on Villarreal at the Bernabeu on Saturday.

Real achieved a commanding 6-1 victory over Mallorca earlier this week. Los Blancos are now 24 matches unbeaten as they hold sole possession over first in the league table. Real Madrid have also won their last four matches.

Villarreal have not had quite as good of a start as anticipated for a bigger Spanish side. They have registered just one win in their first five matches played. They opened the season with four straight draws which puts them 12th in the league standings.

Injuries/Suspensions

Real Madrid are still without several key players including Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, Marcelo, Dani Ceballos, Toni Kroos and Gareth Bale.

Villarreal manager Unai Emery issued updates on his players’ statuses where he said they will likely be without Gerard Moreno, Samu Chukwueze and Dani Raba. He also said Yeremy is questionable.

There are no suspensions for either club in Saturday’s match in Madrid.

Potential XIs

Real Madrid

Courtois; Vazquez, Militão, Nacho, Alaba; Modric, Casemiro, Valverde; Hazard, Vinicius, Benzema

This lineup could very much be different if manager Carlo Ancelotti decides to rest more starters with Real Madrid’s upcoming Champions League match against Sheriff Tiraspol on Tuesday. This could mean another feature for Eduardo Camavinga who has been really good in his short time at the club so far.

It will be intriguing to see if and how Eden Hazard is incorporated after not starting against Mallorca earlier this week. And if Ancelotti decides to finally give Karim Benzema a rest, despite the high level he is playing at currently.

Villarreal

Rulli; Foyth, Albiol, Torres, Alfonso; Parejo, Capoue, Trigueros; Gomez, Danjuma, Alcacer

Prediction

Real Madrid—Villarreal 2-1

This will be an interesting matchup for Real Madrid that will be dependent on if and how many players Ancelotti gives rest too.

While Villarreal have not gotten off to a great start, they have proven able to force draws out of the teams they’ve played, including a tough Atletico Madrid side. This will likely not be a high scoring match like we say against Mallorca earlier this week.

Scoring has not been an issue for Real Madrid as of yet this season. They lead the league in goals with 21 goals racked up already. For reference, Valencia are second in scoring and have scored 11 goals showing just how much Real have generated.

A win keeps Real Madrid at the top of the league for another weekend as they will then shift their focus to hosting the Champions League and another home match on Tuesday.