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Villarreal CF vs. Real Madrid
In La Liga, Real Madrid will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the table ahead of their Champions League Round of 16 first leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. But once again, the royals are plagued by medium to severe personnel worries. Karim Benzema is out and could also miss the match against PSG. But until that happens, Real must do their homework. This is a very difficult one with Villarreal on Saturday. Although Carlo Ancelotti’s side won against Granada on the previous matchday without Vinicus Jr. and Benzema, the yellow submarine is a different matter.
Villarreal redeemed themselves from their 1-0 defeat to Elche three weeks ago. Coach Uni Emery’s team won the last two games to nil. Currently on 35 points, Villarreal are just three points off a Champions League spot. The Yellow Submarine will also play in the last 16 of the top flight. However, it will be a week later than Real Madrid. For the Amarillos, it’s against Juventus. It is no secret that Villarreal has a taste for the Champions League. That is why the yellow submarine wants to qualify for the top flight this season. A home win against Real Madrid would help. Whether the Amarillos could manage a surprise victory against the White Ballet, you can read in our Villarreal – Real Madrid betting tip.
Villarreal – Real Madrid Info
– Date & Time: 12.02.2022, at 16:15 hrs
– Venue: Villarreal, Estadio de la Cerámica
– Competition: La Liga, Matchday 24
– TV coverage: DAZN
Villarreal Form & Balance Check
Villarreal are in outstanding form. The Amarillos are 6th in the table with 35 points and are just three points off 4th place. After starting the new year brilliantly with a 5-0 win over Levante, they followed it up with a 2-2 draw against Atletico. Only Elche has been the Yellow Submarine’s undoing so far in the new year. Coach Unai Emery’s side lost 1-0 at Elche, a defeat from which Villarreal bounced back in fine style. The Amarillos have won their last two matches 3-0 and 2-0.
The Cerámica as a fortress
Villarreal have taken only four points less than the best home team this season, which is Real Madrid. Twelve home games have resulted in 24 points so far. In addition, the Amarillos have only lost two of the twelve meetings at home. The Yellow Submarine has been unbeaten at home in the Estadio de la Cerámica for five games. Within that streak, Villarreal have picked up four home wins. The Amarillos won their last home match 3-0 against Mallorca.
Villarreal facts & analysis
– Villarreal are 6th in the table with 35 points.
– Most recently, the Amarillos won twice in a row.
– The Yellow Submarine are unbeaten for 5 home games.
Real Madrid form & balance check
Real Madrid coped in their last game even without the injured Benzema and Vinicus Junior. Although close, the White Ballet still won the game against Granada 1-0. As a result, the lead over second-placed Sevilla remained at six points. With 53 points, coach Carlo Ancelotti’s team leads the table. However, recent results have been bumpy, partly due to personnel problems. In Getafe at the beginning of the year, Real suffered their second defeat of the season. Again, Valencia was shot out of the Bernabéu with 4:1 in the following match. Another setback followed against Elche with a 2:2 draw. This was compounded by the cup defeat in Bilbao. Real needed the 1-0 win over Granada all the more urgently.
The measure of all things in La Liga
Real Madrid have taken the most home points as well as away points so far. The upcoming match is away, so it’s worth taking a look at Real’s away statistics. The last game away from home was in the Madrid suburb of Getafe. Before that, Real lost only one match this season. This was also away from home. Real lost 2-1 at Espanyol Barcelona. If Ancelotti’s team can be beaten, it is away from home. However, this is hardly statistically provable, apart from the two defeats. The Royals have already scored 23 goals in eleven games away from home this season. No other team has scored more goals away from home.
Real Madrid facts & analysis
– Real are the current league leaders with a 6-point lead.
– The previous 2 defeats of the season both took place away.
– The Royals have scored the most goals away from home so far.
Predicted line-up – last update on 10 Feb 2022
Villarreal have shown a lot of attack recently, especially in home games. Coach Unai Emery plays a 4-4-2 system, which the yellow submarine implemented brilliantly recently. The defence played to nil twice in a row. The offensive scored eight goals in the last two home games. With Moreno and Alcacer up front, Villarreal have two ice-cold goal scorers.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, are still without their top scorer. Karim Benzema is still out for the time being. The same applies to left-back Mendy. Camavinga will again replace Casemiro, who is still injured. Isco could once again take over at striker. Mendy will be replaced by Marcelo. Hazard and Carvajal returned to training on Wednesday and are expected to be fit. The personnel worries won’t let coach Carlo Ancelotti move away from his 4-3-3 system.
Villarreal – Real Madrid direct comparison & stats
Villarreal and Real Madrid have already met 43 times. In this duel, Real earned the more positive record. The royals won 24 games, whereas the yellow submarine could only win 4 encounters. Another 15 meetings ended in a draw. The last time they met, the whistle blew for a 0-0 draw.
– Real Madrid have not lost to Villarreal in 8 matches.
– Last 4 duels at Villarreal ended in a draw.
– Real have won only 3 of their last 10 matches at Villarreal.
– Both teams scored in each of the last 5 duels at Villarreal.
