It’s second place versus third place when Real Madrid travel to Villarreal on Saturday. Madrid are just one point behind arch-rivals FC Barcelona for the top spot in the table. So it’s a two team race for the La Liga title, with the Yellow Submarine, who trail Los Blancos by seven points, trying to get involved as well. Rodrygo has now recovered from injury, and he’s back in training for Madrid.
Brahim Diaz has returned as well, having been away playing for the host country, Morocco, at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Real Madrid at Villarreal CF FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. January, 24, 2026 9pm, Estadio de la Ceramica, Vila-real, Castello, Spain
La Liga Standings: Real Madrid 2nd, 48 pts Villarreal CF 3rd, 41 pts
La Liga Form: Real Madrid LWWWW Villarreal CF WWLWW
Google Result Probability: Real Madrid Win 47% Draw 24% Villarreal CF Win 29%
Real Madrid Team News
From there, we now move on to the absentees. Eder Militao and Ferland Mendy are both ruled out due to hamstring injuries. The same goes for Trent Alexander-Arnold (thigh injury) and Antonio Rudiger (knee problem).
And then finally, Aurelien Tchouameni is suspended. This is certainly a series that Real Madrid have dominated over its history. Villarreal have only won six times in the 54 previous meetings between these two sides.
We’ll see if interim manager Alvaro Arbeloa can continue the pattern of dominance.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.