By James Cormack
Real Madrid are on the road for the final time in La Liga this season on Sunday evening when they travel to a Villarreal side that's poised to settle for a top-half finish.
The champions have continued to roll in the wake of their title parade and were in majestic form last time out as they battered Alaves 5-0 at the Bernabeu. Jude Bellingham was back among the goals while Arda Guler kept up his impressive scoring streak.
Villarreal, however, have given Madrid one or two issues in recent matchups, although they were cast aside with aplomb in the reverse fixture, succumbing 4-1 in the Spanish capital.
El Submarino Amarillo are enjoying a strong end to the season and have won four of their previous five games. While their recent burst arrived too late to secure European football for 2024/25, Villarreal should head into the summer optimistic about their future with Marcelino at the helm.
Here's 90min's preview of Sunday's La Liga clash.
What time does Villarreal vs Real Madrid kick-off?
- Location: Villarreal, Spain
- Stadium: Estadio de la Ceramica
- Date: Sunday 19 May
- Kick-off Time: 18:00 BST / 13:00 ET / 10:00 PT
- Referee: Alejandro J. Hernandez
- VAR: Eduardo Prieto Iglesias
Villarreal vs Real Madrid H2H Record (Last Five Games)
- Villarreal: 2 wins
- Real Madrid: 2 wins
- Draws: 1
Current form (all competitions)
How to watch Villarreal vs Real Madrid on TV and live stream
Villarreal team news
Kiko Femenia was sent off late on in Villarreal's win over Girona last time out and is suspended for Sunday's game.
As a result, Marcelino will be forced into a reshuffle of his defence. Eric Bailly could shift over to right-back if Juan Foyth is still absent due to a foot injury.
Denis Suarez and Yeremy Pino are sure bets to miss out, while Alfonso Pedraza, Gerard Moreno and Francis Coquelin are all doubts.
Villarreal predicted lineup vs Real Madrid
Villarreal predicted lineup vs Real Madrid (4-4-2):Jorgensen; Bailly, Mosquera, Cuenca, Moreno; Traore, Comesana, Parejo, Baena; Guedes, Sorloth.
Real Madrid team news
The visitors will once again be without Aurelien Tchouameni, who's facing a race against time to be fit for the Champions League final having suffered a foot injury.
Dani Carvajal is a doubt with a muscle problem and could be replaced by Lucas Vazquez in Sunday's XI. David Alaba is a long-term absentee.
Real Madrid predicted lineup vs Villarreal
Real Madrid team news vs Villarreal (4-3-1-2):Courtois; Vazquez, Rudiger, Nacho, Garcia; Camavinga, Valverde, Bellingham; Guler; Rodrygo, Vinicius.
Villarreal vs Real Madrid score prediction
Villarreal are on a bit of a roll with Marcelino and will be confident of inflicting just the second La Liga defeat upon Real Madrid this season.
Los Blancos, however, are merely improving and there's no sign of them slowing down ahead of the Champions League final. They've won their previous two games by a combined 9-0 score, with Carlo Ancelotti's willingness to rotate ensuring the entirety of his squad is content.
Villarreal simply aren't compact enough defensively to get the better of their imperious visitors. They were battered in the reverse fixture and will be on the wrong end of the result on Sunday given the chances they typically surrender from open play.
Prediction: Villarreal 1-3 Real Madrid
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This article was originally published on 90min.com as Villarreal vs Real Madrid: Preview, predictions and lineups.
