Real Madrid vs Villarreal Preview

Real Madrid host Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday night, looking to respond to a 2-1 defeat away to Atlético Madrid in their most recent league outing. That result left them fourth on 15 points, six behind a Barcelona side that have won all seven of their league games, and a point behind both Atlético and Real Betis. Villarreal arrive ninth on eight points, but with some momentum after back-to-back league wins over Malaga and Levante ended a run of three straight defeats. Their recent record against Real Madrid offers less encouragement, with no wins in the five meetings in the sample and defeats in the last four. Madrid’s 18 league goals this season are the second-highest total in La Liga behind Barcelona, while Villarreal have scored 13 and conceded 12, so goals at both ends look likely, and at least three goals were scored in each of Villarreal’s last five matches in all competitions. Both sides were also beaten by Real Betis in September, Madrid 1-0 away and Villarreal 2-1 at home, and Betis now sit level on points with Atlético. Kick-off in the Spanish capital is at 20:00 GMT.

Real Madrid have three wins and two defeats from their last five, and both defeats came away from home. The most recent was the 2-1 loss away to Atlético Madrid on 20 September, and five days earlier they won 3-2 away at Elche. A 4-1 home win over Rayo Vallecano came three days before that, the widest margin in either side’s sample, while the Champions League league phase brought a 2-1 home win over Inter on 8 September. The oldest result is a 1-0 defeat away to Betis. Across the five, Madrid scored ten and conceded seven, and they have not kept a clean sheet in any of them. They have also conceded twice in each of their last two outings, and their two home games in the run both ended in victory. Madrid scored at least twice in three of the five.

Villarreal have won their last two after losing the three before that, leaving them with two wins and three defeats from five. The latest was a 3-1 home win over Levante on 20 September, and three days earlier they won 3-1 away at Malaga. Before the Malaga win they had lost three in a row: 2-1 at home to Betis on 14 September, 3-2 away to Dortmund in the Champions League league phase, and 3-2 at home to Dep. A Coruna. Across the five they scored 11 and conceded ten, finding the net in every game but conceding in every one as well. Both of their wins came by two goals, while all three defeats were by a single goal. Both league defeats in the run came at home, so the back-to-back wins have only just lifted them into the top half.

Real Madrid are unbeaten in the last five meetings, winning four and drawing one, so Villarreal are still looking for a first win over them in this sample of 5. The most recent was a 2-0 Madrid win away at Villarreal in January 2026, and before that Madrid won 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu in October 2025. They have now won four in a row in this fixture and lead 13-6 on aggregate across the five. The only draw was a 4-4 at Villarreal in May 2024, the one game in the run in which Villarreal scored more than once. Both meetings in Madrid went the hosts’ way, 3-1 and 2-0, and Madrid scored at least twice in all five.

Real Madrid are fourth on 15 points, while Villarreal sit ninth on eight. A win would take Madrid to 18 points and up to second as things stand, three points behind leaders Barcelona.

In Spain the game is live on Movistar+, M+ LALIGA TV, Movistar Plus+ and LaLiga TV Bar HD, while UK viewers can stream it on Disney+ Premium and US viewers on ESPN+, the ESPN App and fuboTV. Elsewhere, DAZN covers Germany, France, Italy and Portugal, Ziggo Sport and Ziggo Go have it in the Netherlands, Sky Sports Mexico, Sky+ and izzi carry it in Mexico, and TSN Premium shows it to viewers in Canada.

Possible Lineups

Real Madrid — Form

Villarreal — Form

Head-to-Head

Where to Watch

Table

La Liga Standings