Real Madrid (home)
- Real Madrid are second in LaLiga, with 18 points from 7 games, and unbeaten at home with 3 wins in 3 and only 1 goal conceded.
- Real Madrid are going well under Xabi Alonso’s new regime and there’s some real tactical intrigue to this clash as both clubs have very different approaches, with this Real Madrid vs Villarreal CF prediction generating significant attention from fans and pundits alike.
- Los Merengues are a high-possession team with a vertical-positional style where Alonso’s advanced full-backs and central overloads allow them to dominate the territory in front of their goal.
- They are much more aggressive in their pressing game and much more unpredictable in their attacking play than before, largely due to Vinícius Júnior’s pace and dribbling ability.
- Our Real Madrid vs Villarreal CF betting tips highlight that the home side have been the more convincing team so far with three wins, one draw and one defeat in their last five games in all competitions.
Villarreal (away)
- Villarreal CF are third in LaLiga, with 16 points from 7, but their away record is less convincing with 1 win, 1 draw and 1 defeat from 3.
- Marcelino has restored order to Villarreal’s ranks after a sloppy start to the campaign and his disciplined, compact 4-4-2 system, with its emphasis on fast, vertical transitions, has moved the club back into the Champions League contention.
- Garcia will make his team hard to break down and they will try to counter-attack whenever they win the ball back.
- Villarreal are on a three-match winning streak, but they failed to beat Real Madrid in their last two away trips to the Bernabeu and their three away matches this season read 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss. The Real Madrid vs Villarreal CF betting tips suggest Villarreal's inconsistency on the road could be a key factor in this game.
- Villarreal beat Athletic Bilbao 1-0 at home in their midweek match before a 2-1 away win over Sevilla FC pushed them into the top three.
Head-to-Head
Real Madrid have won the last two head-to-head meetings, winning 2-1 at Villarreal in LaLiga 2024/2025 six months ago.
Key Players
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Alonso’s tweaks to Carlo Ancelotti’s system are beginning to take effect and there’s an extra fluency to their play in the final third with Kylian Mbappé now on fire.
- The Frenchman has scored eight goals in seven LaLiga games and nine of Madrid’s last 15 in all competitions.
- He’s just too hot to handle at the moment and the visitors will need to be spot on in defence to prevent him from scoring on Saturday.
- Gerard Moreno’s movement and link-up play provide a focal point to the Villarreal attack, while Tajon Buchanan has been a good signing for the off-ball pace and goal threat he adds in transition.
Betting Insights
- Los Blancos are a short-priced 1.47 odds to defeat Marcelino Garcia’s side, who are 5.75 to spring a major surprise and get a win in the Spanish capital. The Real Madrid vs Villarreal CF betting tips reflect the clear favouritism of the home team in the current odds.
- Backing Over 2.5 goals at 1.43 is a bit of a no brainer given how much Madrid have been scoring recently - 15 in their last five in all competitions.
Prediction
But there’s good value in Real Madrid to win the game at 1.47 as they have won the last two meetings of the clubs and will be desperate to keep their unbeaten home record intact.
