La Liga: No Rest for the Weary Los Blancos

Real Madrid vs Villarreal

Real Madrid’s schedule is unforgiving given their absurd amount of games across all competitions. Following their 1-0 loss to Lille in the Champions League last night, it’s back to La Liga matters for them, as they’ll host Villarreal on Saturday night.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side is undefeated in the Spanish top-flight so far this season, but they are second behind Barcelona. However, depending on this weekend’s La Liga 2024 results, they can go back on top of the table with a victory.

Villarreal are a tricky opponent for Los Blancos because they’re third in the table and only one point separates these two sides. And unlike Real Madrid, the Yellow Submarine have fresher legs because they’re not playing in Europe this term.

Without further ado, here’s the SBOTOP preview of this fun contest.

 

Talking Points

Ancelotti to continue to rotate Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s depth will be tested in these next few weeks, as there are so many games to cover, and it doesn’t help that they still have a few notable absentees.

Thibaut Courtois is the latest casualty after he injured his adductor during the Madrid derby. The Belgian goalkeeper will join David Alaba, Dani Ceballos, and Brahim Diaz in the recovery room, and he’ll be replaced by Andriy Lunin in the starting XI.

On the other hand, it’s good to see Eduardo Camavinga and Kylian Mbappe back in the fold. The Lille game was Camavinga’s first outing in four months, while Mbappe did not play against Atletico Madrid before coming off the bench yesterday.

Unfortunately for Camavinga, he was the culprit behind Lille’s goal because of a handball violation inside the penalty area and Jonathan David converted the subsequent penalty kick.

Camavinga could return to the bench to make way for Luka Modric or Arda Guler, while Kylian Mbappe should replace Endrick in the starting XI. Rodrygo was given the night off against Lille, so he should join Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. in the final third.

 

Baena coming into his own for Villarreal

The Yellow Submarine has quickly resurfaced, as they’re one of the most prolific attacking sides in La Liga, even after Alexander Sorloth left for Atletico Madrid this summer.

Ayoze Perez is one of the frontrunners for the Pichichi trophy with six league goals this season, while Alex Baena is the team’s top playmaker with five assists and one goal.

Alex Baena is becoming one of the top young midfielders in the world today with his technical ability and tireless work rate, and the scary thing about him is he’s just getting started.

The 23-year-old just won the Euros and the Olympic gold medal this summer for Spain to further boost his stock, making him one of the hottest commodities in the transfer market.

Besides Perez and Baena, Real Madrid have to be wary of Thierno Barry, Sergi Cardona, and Santi Comesana, as the three of them combine for three goals and four assists.

 

History

Real Madrid were unbeaten against Villarreal last season, although they were unable to complete a league double.

After a 4-1 loss at the Bernabeu on December 2023, Villarreal secured a 4-4 draw last May, as Alexander Sorloth put the Yellow Submarine on his back by scoring all four goals to match Arda Guler (brace), Joselu, and Lucas Vazquez.

The last time Villarreal defeated Real Madrid was in April 2023, when they came away with a 3-2 result, as Samuel Chukwueze (brace) and Jose Luis Morales were on the scoresheet for the Yellow Submarine.

While Real Madrid have gone unbeaten thus far, Villarreal aren’t doing bad themselves, as they have recorded five wins, one loss, and two draws in their opening eight league matches.

 

Betting Tip

The La Liga 2024 odds are overwhelmingly in favour of Real Madrid this weekend. Los Blancos are 1.25 favourites to win, whereas Villarreal are a long shot at 7.70, and a draw is at 5.80 in the 1X2 market.

However, fatigue may play a role for Los Blancos, and the Yellow Submarine could use that to their advantage, making this a tougher call than usual.

What we’re sure of is that football fans can expect goals from this fixture given the attacking talent from both sides.

If you think that our recommended bet above is not enough, then consider Over 3.50 at 1.82 and Over 3.75 at 2.03 as your alternatives.

On the other hand, a Correct Score of 4-1 – the result of Real Madrid’s last victory over Villarreal – is on offer at 13.50.

   

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