Villarreal Vs Real Madrid Prediction, Preview, Predicted Lineups and Team News | La Liga

Villarreal Vs Real Madrid Preview

Tournament: LaLiga

Date: Saturday, March 15

Kick-off time:17:30 GMT

Venue: El Madrigal

Villarreal are back in action as they take on Real Madrid in round 28 of La Liga at the El Madrigal on Saturday aiming to return to winning ways.

Villarreal have endured a good season so far with the team very well in distance of the top four after round 27. They have accumulated 44 points thus far sitting five points behind Athletic Club in fifth. Marcelino Garcia's side has enjoyed great form recently despite their defeat in the last match registering three wins, one draw, and losing one. In the last match, they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against Alaves despite them playing with nine men in the second half. Ayoze Perez is their leading goalscorer with 11 goals while Alex Baena provides the most assists(7).

Real Madrid on the other hand heading into this match on the back of their penalty shootout win over arch-rivals Atletico Madrid to book their place in the quarterfinal of the UEFA Champions League. As a result, they will be facing Arsenal but for now, they have to shift their focus on the League with the title racing heating between three teams. Los Blancos are currently second in the standings same points as table toppers Barcelona but have played a game more than them.

However, their recent league form hasn't been great having registered just two wins, two draws, and losing one. In the last league match, they secured a 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano thanks to goals from Kylian Mbappe who is their leading goal-scorer with 18 goals, and Vinicius who is second in the list of both goalscorer and assists provider with 10 goals, and five assists.

Villarreal Teams News

Villarreal have three injury concerns in their squad. Gerard Moreno who has been one of the most consistent performers for them over the years is suffering from a foot injury with his return timeline yet to be known.

Kiko who predominantly plays as a right back is also out with a back injury and is joined on the sidelines by Ilias Akhomach whose season is already over after suffering a cruciate ligament injury in the match against Alaves back in November.

Real Madrid Team News

In their impressive victory over Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid suffered a huge blow as left-back Ferland Mendy suffered a hamstring injury which will see him miss more than one month of action.

That means, Fran Garcia has a brilliant chance to stake a place in the team in his absence. The other absentees are Dani Ceballos (hamstring), Eder Militao (cruciate ligament), and Dani Carvajal whose season is already over alongside Dani Carvajal due to the same injury. Carlo Ancelotti is likely to make some changes here bringing the likes of Camavinga, and Lucas Varquez to the starting eleven here.

Villarreal Vs Real Madrid Predicted Lineups

Villarreal predicted lineup (4-4-2):

Goalkeeper: Comde

Defenders: Foyth, Kambwala, Costa, Cardona

Midfielders: Pino, Gueye, Parejo, Baena

Attackers: Pepe, Perez

Real Madrid predicted lineup (4-4-2):

Goalkeeper: Courtois

Defenders: Vasquez, Asencio, Rudiger, Garcia

Midfielders: Rodrygo, Tchouameni, Camavinga, Bellingham

Attackers: Mbappe, Vinicius

Villarreal Vs Real Madrid H2H Record

The visitors have dominated this fixture in recent matches getting the better of Villarreal on four occasions securing three wins and one draw while losing another one. Their most recent match ended in a comfortable 2-0 win for Real Madrid against them.

Key players to watch in Villarreal Vs Real Madrid

Ayoze Perez (Villarreal)

Ayoze Perez has been one of the standout performers for Villarreal this term who has consistently delivered the goals for the team. This season, he has tallied 11 goals in 19 appearances for them as he leads the goalscoring charts for the Yellow Submarines. However, the biggest task will be for him now against a strong opponent.

In his last five appearances for the club, Ayoze Perez has found the back of the net three times averaging an xG of 1.4. This season, his movements have been eye-catching to watch as he perfectly fits in the role of the center forward after starting his career as a winger.

Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)

After a slow start to his tenure as a Los Blancos player, Kylian Mbappe has looked a beast in 2025 for them scoring goals far more regularly as compared to his form at the start of the season.

The Frenchman is currently the leading goal-scorer for them with 18 goals in 25 appearances while laying on another three assists. In his last five matches in the league, Mbappe has registered three goals and also provided an assist with an xG of 0.8. Mbappe's pace and dribbling ability have already caused plenty of problems for the opposition defenders who find him difficult to mark given his excellent movements and breathtaking pace.

Villarreal Vs Real Madrid Prediction

Villarreal suffered a blow in the last match when Alaves secured a narrow victory over them. They will be hoping to bounce back here but face a tough task against an inform Los Blancos side. Real Madrid remains clear favourites here considering the form they are in and their recent record against the home side.

With the title race hitting, it is a must-win match for them to keep their hope of a title here. It remains to be seen how Carlo Ancelotti sets his team here.

Predicted Score: Villarreal 1-3 Real Madrid

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