Real Madrid Vs Villarreal Football Score Match 7 January 2023
Reigning Spanish champions Real Madrid will be bidding to make it three straight La Liga victories when they face Villarreal on Saturday afternoon. Los Blancos are currently second in the table, level on points (38) with leaders Barcelona, while Villarreal occupy seventh position, one point behind sixth-placed Real Betis ahead of the next set of fixtures.
Villarreal have had their problems this season, but the Yellow Submarine have won their last two in the league, including a 2-1 success over Valencia last weekend, which moved them onto 24 points from 15 matches. Quique Setien’s side are only one point behind sixth-placed Real Betis and just three behind fourth-placed Atletico Madrid, so they are in a solid position at this stage of the campaign, and a victory over the champions on Saturday afternoon would be another huge step in the right direction. Villarreal were in Copa del Rey action on Tuesday, recording a 5-1 victory over FC Cartagena to secure 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 round of the competition by topping Group C with 13 points from six matches. Villarreal, who have finished fifth, seventh and seventh in their last three La Liga campaigns, have actually held Real Madrid to goalless draws in their last two league meetings, but they have not managed to overcome the capital outfit in Spain’s top flight since a 1-0 success at Bernabeu in January 2018.
Real Madrid have not lost away to Villarreal since December 2015, which is a staggering run of results against the Yellow Submarine on the road, and they will be bidding to extend that record on Saturday afternoon. Carlo Ancelotti’s side were back in La Liga action against Real Valladolid on December 30, recording a 2-0 victory courtesy of a late double from Karim Benzema, and the result moved the reigning champions onto 38 points from their 15 matches, which is the same as leaders Barcelona at this stage.
Barcelona are in action against Atletico Madrid on Sunday, so Real Madrid will have the chance to again move to the summit with a win here, and Los Blancos have the best away record in La Liga this season, picking up 21 points from their eight matches on their travels. Real Madrid also played in the Copa del Rey earlier this week, progressing to the round of 16 courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Cacereno, with Rodrygo netting the only goal of the contest in the 69th minute. Ancelotti’s side are preparing to enter a busy run of matches, as they will face Valencia in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals on January 10 ahead of a possible final against Barcelona or Real Betis, while they will also take on Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad in the league before the end of the month. Villarreal will be missing Giovani Lo Celso on Saturday afternoon due to a hamstring problem, while Francis Coquelin is also a major doubt for the home side here.
There will be changes to the side that started 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 move to Ajax. As a result, Pepe Reina is set to feature between the sticks for just the second time in La Liga this season. As for Real Madrid, Mariano Diaz is again expected to miss out with an ankle issue, while Dani Carvajal could again be absent due to a minor issue, so Lucas Vazquez is in line to start at right-back. There had been some fears over Thibaut Courtois’s availability, but the Belgium international is fit to start in goal for the Spanish and European champions. There will be wholesale changes to the side that started 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 team for this contest.
Villarreal possible starting lineup:
Reina; Femenia, Foyth, P Torres, Moreno; Capoue, Parejo; Chukwueze, Baena, Pino; Danjuma Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Courtois; Vazquez, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Modric, Tchouameni, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius
Real Madrid will be bidding to make it four straight wins in all competitions when they take on Villarreal in Spain’s top flight on Saturday afternoon. Carlo Ancelotti’s side booked their spot in the last-16 stage of the Copa del Rey on Tuesday evening courtesy of a 1-0 success over Cacereno. Los Blancos are currently second in the La Liga table, level on points (38) with leaders Barcelona.
With the Yellow Submarine conceding plenty of goals there should be interest in backing the Spanish and European champions to score Real Madrid travel to the Estadio de la Ceramica on Saturday afternoon to face Villarreal as Carlo Ancelotti’s men aim to record their eighth away win of the La Liga season.
Indeed, no side has won more matches on the road in the Spanish topflight this term than the reigning champions and Los Blancos are favourites to claim three points against the Yellow Submarine.
The visitors are offered at 21/20 (2.05) with bet365 while Villarreal are priced at 23/10 (3.30). Both of the meetings between these sides last season ended 0-0 while six of their last nine encounters have ended as draws. Bet365 price another stalemate this weekend at 14/5 (3.80). Villarreal vs Real Madrid first goal scorer odds
Karim Benzema scored both of Madrid’s goals in their 2-0 win at Valladolid last weekend, while the Frenchman was rested for the midweek Copa Del Rey victory over Cacereno. Benzema is priced at 10/3 (4.33) to score first while Villarreal’s Arnaut Danjuma is the favourite to break the deadlock for the hosts at 5/1 (6.00). Villarreal’s Spanish international striker Gerard Moreno has had an injury hit season, starting only six league games but should be fit enough to be in the starting eleven and is offered at 6/1 (7.00).
Villarreal vs Real Madrid preview
Quique Setien has been manager of Villarreal for nine competitive fixtures during which time the side have kept just two clean sheets. One of those shutouts came in the Copa Del Rey against sixth tier Santa Amalia and the other came in an unconvincing 1-0 win at Espanyol just before the World Cup break. Teams are managing to create plenty of chances against the Yellow Submarine despite Setien’s side dominating possession, and their problems at the back are likely to increase with the sale of first-choice goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli to Ajax. That leaves veteran Pepe Reina as the probable stopper to face Los Blancos, and the top scorers in the division should be backed to get among the goals. Villarreal vs Real Madrid tips and predictions
Real Madrid are priced at 4/5 (1.80) to score over 1.5 goals which looks like an excellent option, while backing the visitors to score in both halves at 13/8 (2.62) could also be of interest.You can watch La Liga live on the go with your iPhone, iPad or Android device through your bet365 account. All you need is a funded account or to have placed a bet in the last 24 hours to qualify. Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.
