Overview
Real Madrid just suffered a narrow defeat against Lille in the second round of the Champions League group stage. This was Los Blancos' first defeat since January 2024 in all competitions. In the most recent round of La Liga, the "White Vultures" also regrettably lost points against Atletico Madrid.
Despite their inconsistent performance since the start of the season, Real Madrid are still one of two unbeaten teams in La Liga (along with Atletico Madrid). They are currently second in the table and three points behind leaders Barcelona. A positive performance against Villarreal will help Real Madrid's morale to rise, thereby aiming for better results.
However, Villarreal are not an easy opponent to bully. Coach Marcelino's team is determined to improve their performance after finishing 8th last season. Currently, they are ranked 3rd on the rankings. In the past 4 rounds, Villarreal won 3, most recently a 3-1 victory over Las Palmas.
Villarreal are attacking very well, having scored 17 goals, equal to Real Madrid. However, their problem is their defense. With 15 goals conceded, Villarreal has the 3rd worst defense in the league, only better than the bottom two teams Valladolid and Las Palmas. This will be a weakness that Real Madrid's strikers can take advantage of.
In the last meeting between the two teams, Real Madrid defeated Villarreal 4-1. With their class, Los Blancos are capable of winning 3 points once again.
Human resources situation
Real Madrid have welcomed back a number of key players in recent weeks, with Kylian Mbappe expected to start after coming off the bench against Lille in the Champions League.
However, Los Blancos still have a number of players who cannot return, including goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Villarreal have a longer injury list with six players expected to miss the game, including Gerard Moreno and the team's top scorer this season, Ayoze Perez.
Expected lineup:
Real Madrid: Lunin, Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy, Camavinga, Bellingham, Valverde, Vinicius, Mbappe, Rodrygo.
Villarreal: Conde, Femenia, Costa, Bailly, Cardona, Suarez, Gueye, Parejo, Akhomach, Barry, Pepe.
The match between Real Madrid and Villarreal takes place at 2:00 a.m. on October 6 (Vietnam time).
