Villarreal vs Real Madrid

Estadio de la Ceramica forms the backdrop for a handsomely-looking La Liga showdown between Villarreal and Real Madrid. 

Villarreal’s bid to secure a fifth consecutive top-eight finish in La Liga is firmly on track after a 1-0 win at Girona in midweek made it four wins in their last five league matches (L1). However, Marcelino’s men must win both remaining La Liga clashes to secure European football, a tall order as they take on a Real Madrid side they lost to 4-1 in the reverse fixture. On top of that, El Submarino Amarillo have failed to pick up a single point from six home league encounters against sides starting the round above them (L6), conceding 2+ goals in each loss. On the bright side, back-to-back wins in the build-up to this clash bolster Villarreal’s chances of upholding a promising record of losing just once in their last nine home league outings (W5, D3).

If there’s a side capable of knocking Villarreal off the perch, it’s Real Madrid. The newly-crowned champions hammered Alaves 5-0 in midweek to post their third consecutive league win ‘to nil’ whilst scoring 3+ goals, continuing to build momentum ahead of the upcoming Champions League final. Despite Carlo Ancelotti’s squad rotations, Los Blancos head into this meeting on a four-game winning league run on the road. Their away form this season has been scintillating (W13, D4, L1), and they’re the only La Liga side alongside Rayo Vallecano (19) to have conceded less than 20 goals on their travels (13). However, Madrid’s recent visits to La Ceramica have produced frustration, with Los Merengues winless in their last six top-flight away H2Hs (D5, L1).