Villareal vs Real Madrid
12 February 1515hrs
Football – Spain – La Liga
Pick Villareal
Bookmaker Boylesports
Odds: 6/4 odds taken 2000 GMT, Thursday 11 February
Real Madrid stretched their lead at the top of La Liga last weekend and will be hoping to do similar when they take on Villareal on Saturday afternoon.
Table of Contents
Villareal Preview – Can Villareal record a third straight win as they bid to keep top four hopes alive?
The race for a top four finish and most notably third and fourth is well established and proving to be perhaps the most competitive aspect of La Liga this season. Villareal are one of the teams in amongst that and back to back wins have seen them move in to sixth place – just three points behind Barcelona who are the current occupants of fourth place. Unai Emery’s men have now won six of their last eight in the league and if they can continue that form they won’t be far away from Champions League qualification.
Villareal also have the small matter of a last-16 tie against Juventus in that competition with the first leg towards the end of this month. So the big games are coming thick and fast.
Villareal have seen a significant improvement in their home form over the last couple of months, too. Having managed just three victories in their first eight home league games, they have now won four out of five with the only dropped points during that time coming in a 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid.
Emery’s men will take great confidence from last weekend’s 2-0 win away to third place Real Betis. If they are to climb into the top four then they’ll have to pull off more of those results and Saturday provides them another opportunity to do just that.
Real Madrid Preview – Will last weekend’s narrow win settle a stuttering Real?
Last weekend could prove to be pivotal for Real and their hopes of winning the title. Closest rivals Sevilla missed a penalty in the final minute of their match on the Saturday and fail to cut the gap to one point before Carlo Ancelotti’s men kicked off the following day. For long spells of the game against Granada, Real struggled to find a way past their stubborn opponents. The goal eventually came from Marco Asensio in the final 15 minutes and it leaves them six clear at the top.
Sevilla play first again this weekend but all the leaders will care about is ensuring they remain a minimum of six ahead come the end of their game.
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Having dropped points in two out their four league games in this calendar year there is less margin for error than they would have hoped for heading into what looks like a tricky fixture. Real will also have to do without star striker and top scorer Karim Benzema who is attempting to return for the Champions League clash with PSG later this month,
In the Frenchman’s absence, the onus for goals will again be on Vinicius Junior who has 12 in La Liga so far.
Villareal vs Real Madrid Betting Advice
A trip to El Madrigal is rarely straightforward but Real will feel under more pressure with the fact that Villareal come into this on the back of that excellent win over Betis last weekend whilst the visitors are also without their best and most important player.
This tends to be a fixture which does produce goals with nine of the last 10 seeing both teams scoring. The only exception to that was the goalless draw played out in Madrid earlier in the season.
Key Facts – Villareal vs Real Madrid Lisbon Betting Tip
- Villareal have taken 13 points from their last five matches at home
- Real’s tally of eight wins means they have the best away record in La Liga
- Nine of the last 10 meetings between the two teams have seen both scoring
The importance of Benzema cannot be underestimated and it could well swing this game in favour of Villareal. Unbeaten in their last five at home, winning four of them, they will feel they can boost their top four hopes further.
Best Betting Odds for Villareal vs Real Madrid
