Villarreal will be facing off against leaders Real Madrid in the 2021/2022 La Liga Season at Estadio De La Ceramica on 12th February 2022 in what promises to be a very dynamic and exciting encounter between the two sides.

Villarreal, the reigning Europa League champions are having a pretty inconsistent season this year. While they are punching above their weight in the Champions League, having made the knockout stages.

It is a different story in the league though, with inconsistency being their bane for a large chunk of the season, which is one of the reasons why they find themselves currently in 6th place, three points adrift of the Champions League spots. Coach Unai Emery will be hoping that his side manages to get rid of those inconsistencies and play with a sense of assurance and confidence against a side that lacks in none of the aforementioned qualities. 

The Story Of The Season So Far For Both Sides

Real Madrid is a team that is absolutely flying at the moment. From the onset of the season, questions about how new manager Carlo Ancelotti would manage to get the best out of this group have been answered emphatically.

He has got them playing some pretty expansive football, with the likes of Benzema, Modric and Kroos running the show, but the emergence of Vinicius Junior as a reliable source of goals and assists is one of the talking points of the season. But a slight wobble in the last few games has seen the chasing pack gain some valuable ground on them. While Los Blancos are currently sitting pretty at the top of the table, the gap is only 3 points between them and second-placed Sevilla. They will be well aware that any slip-up and the chasing pack will be well on their heels to capitalize on it.

Real Madrid will be looking to get the three points that will give them a sizeable cushion over the rest with a win increasing the gap to 6 points. a win for the Yellow Submarine will mean that they will jump to the 4th spot, right in the mix for the competition for the remaining Champions League places.

Villarreal vs Real Madrid, La Liga 2021/2022

Date- 12th February

Time- 8:45 pm IST

Venue- Estadio de La Ceramica

Form Guide

Villarreal: W-D-L-W-W
Real Madrid: W-L-W-D-W

Head to Head

Villarreal Wins- 4

Draws- 12

Real Madrid Wins- 15

Team news

Villarreal will be without the services of midfielder Francis Coquelin and Ruben Pena with injury. Gerard Moreno is a major doubt to be available for the game after he was withdrawn in the first half during Villarreal’s game against Real Betis due to a calf problem. If Moreno is unavailable, it is expected that Arnaut Danjuma could be playing the forward position. Apart from these concerns, the rest of the team is fit and raring to go.

As far as the Los Blancos are concerned, Casmeiro and Lucas Vazquez have resumed training following illness and should be available for selection. Mariano is expected to be back after a muscle injury. Karim Benzema and Ferland Mendy are sure to miss out this game as they have not fully recovered from injury, but are expected to be back for their marquee Champions League fixture against Paris St Germain. In the absence of Benzema, Isco is once again expected to play the false 9 role for Real. 

Villarreal probable starting line-up

Rulli; Foyth, Albiol, Torres, Pedraza, Chukwueze, Capoue, Parejo, Moreno, Pino, Danjuma

Real Madrid probable starting line-up

Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Marcelo, Modric, Casemiro, Kroos, Asensio, Vinicius Jr, Isco

Predictions

Real Madrid is expected to win the game, but with Benzema’s absence, it becomes a wee bit complicated. This could be a huge boost to the Yellow Submarine, who can expect to take the fight to the league leaders.

A win for Real Madrid will give them a much-needed boost to consolidate their position at the top of the table, while also giving them the confidence needed to face off a difficult opposition, with PSG next to play in the Champions League. A win for the yellow submarine will put them right in the reckoning for the Champions League places, with all three places up for grabs. It will be close, it will be edgy. But expect The Los Blancos to come away with the 3 points in a closely contested encounter.

Score Predictions: Villarreal 1- 2 Real Madrid