Villarreal vs. Real Madrid: Preview and betting tips

The highlight of Saturday’s football programme will be the Spanish clash between Villarreal and Real Madrid. The hosts want to reach the Top 4, the visitors want to push Barcelona. What to expect from the match and what to bet on?

Villarreal are doing well after the break caused by the World Cup. It has won its last six games, including a triumph over Naples in the build-up. They are seventh in a very balanced table, but only three points behind fourth-placed Atlético Madrid.

Real Madrid is defending its championship in both La Liga and the Champions League. It has won five of its last six matches and is second in the league table. It is only one point behind Barcelona, its main rival for the title. Third-placed Real Sociedad is nine points clear.

Villarreal’s key figures

Álex Baena is firing in the home team’s jersey, the Spanish under-21 international has netted ten goals and assisted four times. Nigerian winger Samuel Chukwueze split the net seven times and added six assists.

Real’s key figures

Last season’s Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema has been out of action for much of this season, yet he has scored eight goals and assisted once. Brazilian national team winger Vinicius Junior added five goal assists to his ten shots.

What to expect and what to bet on?

Villarreal is not a goal machine at the moment (with 17 shots they have the second worst attack in the first half of the table), on the other hand the defence is running like clockwork. Only Barcelona has scored less times than the yellow submarine (11).

Saturday, however, will be a big test indeed. With 35 goals scored, Real have the best offensive in La Liga and have scored more than once in nine of their last ten games. Barcelona, for example, have scored three this season.

Given the form of Real’s attack, especially the unstoppable speedster Vinicius, and the not very productive Villarreal, I think the favourite will beat the yellow submarine on its soil.

Source: LaLiga