Real Madrid travel to the Estadio de la Cerámica seeking to reclaim top spot in the La Liga standings.
The Spanish giants currently sit second, just one point adrift of Barcelona, making a victory crucial before their Catalan rivals face Real Oviedo on Sunday. Manager Álvaro Arbeloa has injected fresh momentum following his appointment in January, capped by an emphatic 6-1 Champions League victory over Monaco in midweek.
Villarreal, in third place with 41 points and a game in hand, offers a resilient home challenge after losing their remarkable 14-match unbeaten streak at La Cerámica to Barcelona earlier this month.
Villarreal vs Real Madrid – Match preview and team news
- Date: Saturday, 24th January.
- Kick-off: 8pm BST.
- Venue: Estadio De La Ceramica.
Villarreal team news
Marcelino García Toral’s squad faces significant attrition heading into the fixture. Willy Kambwala (hamstring), Logan Costa (knee), and Pau Cabanes (knee) are unavailable due to injury. Santi Comesana and Santiago Mourino remain suspended.
Marcelino addressed the challenge facing his team at the pre-match press conference, stating: “Real Madrid, regardless of the coach, always has things of a very high level. We have to attack judiciously”. He acknowledged the slim margins required for victory: “You have to play an almost perfect game, and they have a bad game, and be effective in front of the goal”.
Real Madrid team news
Real Madrid face significant defensive absences. Trent Alexander-Arnold (thigh), Éder Militão (hamstring), Ferland Mendy (hamstring), and Antonio Rüdiger (knee) remain sidelined. French midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni is suspended due to yellow card accumulation, depriving Arbeloa of his midfield anchoring, who had featured in 18 of the club’s 20 La Liga matches.
However, Real Madrid received a timely boost with the return of Rodrygo from a minor muscle injury sustained during the Spanish Super Cup. The Brazilian winger previously posted six goal contributions in seven starts before sidelined. Brahim Díaz is also available for selection following AFCON duties. Arbeloa confirmed Rodrygo’s status at Friday’s press conference, stating, “Rodrygo is back”.
Form
Villarreal
Villarreal lost back-to-back matches last week. A 0-2 loss against Real Betis in La Liga and then a 1-2 defeat to Ajax in the Champions League. They have an extra game in hand over Real Madrid and will look to give Alvaro Arbeloa’s men a tough challenge, taking advantage of their home ground and familiar atmosphere
Real Madrid
Real Madrid have shown mixed but improving form under manager Álvaro Arbeloa in early 2026. Their recent results include a 6-1 Champions League thrashing of Monaco on January 20, where Kylian Mbappé scored twice. Before that, Real Madrid won by a 2-0 margin in La Liga over Levante on January 17. They’ve won four of their last six across competitions, with high-scoring displays in big wins
Predicted lineups
Villarreal: Junior; Navarro, Veiga, Foyth, Pedraza; Buchanan, Parejo, Gueye, Moleiro; Perez, Mikautadze
Real Madrid: Courtois; Valverde, Huijsen, Asencio, Carreras; Guler, Camavinga, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius
How to watch Villarreal vs Real Madrid?
Disney+ streams Villarreal vs Real Madrid live in the UK.
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