Real Madrid vs Villarreal Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 Spanish Primera
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It has been an unconvincing start to the season for Real Madrid under Carlo Ancelotti and they finally suffered a defeat in midweek as they now take on a Villarreal side that have been thrilling to watch throughout the campaign.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Saturday 5th October, 2024 - UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Premier Sports / US – ESPN have the exclusive rights to La Liga games in the USA, so Real Madrid vs Villarreal may be televised on one of their affiliated channels
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Premier Sports / US – ESPN+
REAL MADRID PREVIEW: STUTTERING LOS BLANCOS
Carlo Ancelotti is in charge of the 15-time and defending European champions but Real Madrid have been poor in their performances in pretty much all of their 11 matches across all competitions so far this season, despite the fact they have won the UEFA Super Cup and remain unbeaten in La Liga.
Los Blancos come into this one on the back of sharing a 1-1 draw in the derby against Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano last weekend, conceding an equaliser in the 95th minute of that match. After that they then went to Stade Pierre Mauroy and lost to Lille in the UEFA Champions League in midweek.
VILLARREAL PREVIEW: ENTERTAINING YELLOW SUBMARINE
Under the management of former Olympique de Marseille and Valencia boss Marcelino, Villarreal have started the 2024/25 La Liga season, as which they are trying to get themselves back into Europe, with just one defeat in their opening eight matches and they sit a point and a place below Madrid ahead of this weekend.
Their eight matches in Spain’s top-flight have consisted of 32 goals with only Barcelona scoring more than them with only Real Valladolid and Las Palmas conceding more. The visitors come into this one on the back of an impressive 3-1 hammering of the latter last weekend with goals from Nicolas Pepe, Thierno Barry and Alex Baena.
REAL MADRID TEAM NEWS: COURTOIS & ALABA SETBACKS
David Alaba has been unavailable for over a year now and is nearing a return but has suffered another setback with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also once again sidelined due to injury.
Madrid do have a couple of other injury issues as Ancelotti tried to find a way to get Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe not to occupy the exact same spot on the pitch.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Lunin; Dani Carvajal, Rudiger, Militao, Mendy; Fede Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior
UNAVAILABLE: Courtois (Injured), Alaba (Injured), Dani Ceballos (Injured), Brahim Diaz (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
VILLARREAL TEAM NEWS: AYOZE DOUBTS
Following his surprise move from Real Betis in the summer, Ayoze Perez has been magnificent for Marcelino so far this season but the Spain international is a doubt this weekend.
There are also several confirmed absentees for this weekend as Willy Kambwala heads up an injury list that consists of club captain Gerard Moreno as well as Alfonso Pedraza and Denis Suarez.
PREDICTED XI (4-4-2): Conde; Kiko Femenia, Bailly, Costa, Sergi Cardona; Akhomach, Dani Parejo, Gueye, Juan Bernat; Pepe, Barry
UNAVAILABLE: Kambwala (Injured), Alfonso Pedraza (Injured), Denis Suarez (Injured), Gerard (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Foyth (Injured), Ayoze Perez (Injured)
REAL MADRID VS VILLARREAL PREDICTION
Real Madrid have scored 22 goals across all competitions so far this season with three of those coming in the first-half of matches as they struggle to find cohesion and rely upon desperate moments. Villarreal have been genuinely entertaining to watch throughout the campaign and have also made an almost comical habit of scoring deep into second-half stoppage-time. A result may be genuinely too difficult to call but both teams scoring does look a good bet for this one.
REAL MADRID VS VILLARREAL TIP: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
