Villarreal vs Real Madrid: Match preview | OneFootball

Just two days after securing their berth in the Champions League quarter-final, Real Madrid turn their attention back to La Liga, where a vital away fixture against Villarreal awaits at the Estadio de la Ceramica.

Carlo Ancelotti faces off against Marcelino Garcia on Saturday, March 15th, at 18:30 local time on a matchday that will be crucial in deciding the course of the title.

Atletico Madrid host Barcelona on Sunday at the Wanda Metropolitano and with at least one of their arch rivals set to drop points later in the game-week, it is imperative that Los Blancos do their due diligence and pick up a win.

Their record against the Yellow Submarine away from home does not provide for great reading, however, with the Whites having won just once in seven previous attempts in the league in Castellon. Madrid’s last win away to Villarreal was in February 2017 in the Spanish top flight, whereas last season, they dropped a 4-1 lead to share the spoils in a riveting 4-4 draw.

The reverse fixture between the two sides in October at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu saw Real Madrid claim a convincing 2-0 win, courtesy of Federico Valverde and Vinicius Junior, and the fans will hope that the team can pick up another important result at the weekend.

Ancelotti is set to be without Dani Carvajal, Dani Ceballos, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy and Jesus Vallejo. Mendy is the latest casualty for the manager after his hamstring injury in the Atletico Madrid match. However, Vinicius Junior was able to make the squad despite his fitness concerns.

If the Brazilian international is unable to start, all eyes will be on Kylian Mbappe to deliver after the Frenchman broke his duck of three matches without a goal last weekend against Rayo Vallecano. He is the top scorer for the defending champions in the league with 18 strikes to his name.

Villarreal come into the game having been beaten by Deportivo Alaves last time out and it is expected for Gerard Moreno, Kiko and Ilias Akhomach to miss the Madrid fixture due to injuries. Moreno is especially an important absentee given his record against Los Blancos, although the team’s best performer in La Liga this season in Ayoze Perez will be fully fit. He has notched 11 goals in the ongoing campaign.

While the home side is expected to put its best starting eleven out, the visitors could be forced into making some changes to their preferred line-up with a number of players likely to be in discomfort and fatigue after a laborious extra time and penalty shootout against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

Nevertheless, a battle worth watching for ensues between two of La Liga’s most talented side although admittedly, the pressure will be on Real Madrid to clinch a win and hope for a favourable result when Atletico and Barca go head-to-head later on the weekend.