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Villarreal – Real Madrid
Last year was terrific for Real Madrid. The royals won the 2022 La Liga championship and the Champions League. Once again, the Galactics enter the new calendar year as the benchmark in European club football. The expectations of coach Carlo Ancelotti’s team are equally enormous.
Last Tuesday evening, Real kicked off the year with a cup match at amateur club Cacereño SAD, which the Madrilenians won 1-0 with a B-team. Now La Liga begins again, where Benzema, Kroos, Modrić & Co. will be looking to defend their Spanish crown. The first match is at Villarreal on Saturday.
Villarreal also played in the cup during the week. The Yellow Submarine won 5:1 at FC Cartagena. It was coach Quique Setién’s fifth competitive win as coach since Villarreal lost head coach Unai Emery to Aston Villa in October. In La Liga, Villarreal will be looking to keep up with the international places and therefore start the new year with an exclamation mark. Find out what to expect from this clash in our Villarreal – Real Madrid tip
Villarreal – Real Madrid Info:
– Date & Time: 07.01.2023, 16:15 Uhr
– Venue: Estadio de la Cerámica, Villarreal.
– Competition: La Liga, Matchday 16
– TV broadcast: DAZN
Villarreal form & balance check
Villarreal were forced into action late this year as head coach Unai Emery left the club for the Premier League. Ex-Barcelona coach Quique Setién took over and got the Yellow Submarine back on track. Villarreal have now played nine times under the 64-year-old. In La Liga, Setién’s team picked up six points with two wins over Espanyol Barcelona (1:0) and Valencia (2:1). The Yellow Submarine lost the other two duels against Athletic Bilbao (0:1) and RCD Mallorca (0:2). Nevertheless, Villarreal’s recent success over Valencia on New Year’s Eve saw them move up to 7th place.
Offensive is on again
After Villarreal had lost their first two appearances under Setién to nil and especially the offensive was stuck, the 64-year-old Spaniard changed to a more offensive system. Since the 9-0 victory over Santa Amalia in the cup, at the latest, things have been going well for the yellow submarine in attack. Villarreal have scored a total of 18 goals in their last four competitive games. In La Liga, Villarreal will need to continue this run, having scored only 17 goals in 15 games so far. With only eleven goals conceded, the yellow submarine nevertheless conceded three less than the upcoming guest from the capital.
Villarreal facts & analysis
– Villarreal are in 7th place in the table with 24 points.
– The yellow submarine won two games in a row in La Liga.
– Villarreal have won five of their nine games under coach Setién so far.
Real Madrid Form & Balance Check
In November, Real Madrid lost for the first time in La Liga this season. The royals lost 3-2 in the small capital derby and that despite Ancelotti’s side turning a short-lived 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead. However, the Madrilenians had already failed in the previous week, when they only managed a 1-1 draw against promoted Girona. After these two games, the results machine started rolling again. Cádiz (2:1) and Real Valladolid (2:0) were beaten and Barcelona caught up at the top of the table. Real and Barcelona both go into the next matchday with 38 points. The Catalans, however, lead the table as Lewandowski & Co. have the better goal difference.
Late goals bring the turnaround
Against Cádiz and Real Valladolid, Real Madrid were clearly struggling to get back on track after their two failures against Girona and Rayo Vallecano. But there is always Karim Benzema. After Toni Kroos scored the 2-1 winner over Cadiz late in the 2nd half, the Frenchman scored twice at Valladolid in the 83rd and 89th minutes of the game. Thus, the Madrilenians scored the last three goals in La Liga in the last 30 minutes of the match.
Real Madrid facts & analysis
– Real Madrid are 2nd in the table with 38 points.
– The Royals have won two games in a row in La Liga.
– Of 15 games under in La Liga so far, Real Madrid have lost only one.
Predicted line-up – last update on 5 January 2023
Coach Quique Setién can rely on his top line-up against Real Madrid. There are no suspensions or injuries for Villarreal. The Yellow Submarine will tackle it under the Spaniard in a 4-3-3 system. The two veterans Albiol and Parejo lead their team. In the offensive, Moreno is expected to provide goals in the centre of the attack.
As is well known, the 4-3-3 system is the one that Real Madrid perfected. The Madrilenians are also expected to be at their best on Saturday. Over the World Cup break, Karim Benzema cured his tired muscles and is now ready for the second half of the season. There are no suspensions or injuries for the reigning champions either.
Villarreal – Real Madrid direct comparison & statistics
In fact, the last two duels ended their winner. Both times there were no goals. Nevertheless, Real Madrid are unbeaten in nine games against Villarreal (three wins and six draws). The yellow sub last won in 2018.
– The last five duels at Villarreal all ended without a winner.
– The last winner at the Cerámica was Real Madrid with a 3-2 victory in 2017.
– In their last six away games at Villarreal, Madrid have scored at least two goals four times.
