Villarreal vs Real Madrid La Liga Preview: Start Time, Team News, How To Watch & Live Stream

Real Madrid travel to Villarreal in La Liga on Saturday, looking to go top of the league before the huge crunch match between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

After winning against Rayo Vallecano last weekend in La Liga, Los Blancos will want to build momentum at the Estadi de la Ceramica with a win against a tough Villarreal side, who sit 5th in the league table.

The Yellow Submarine disappointingly lost to a relegation-threatened, nine-man Alaves side 1-0 last week but were unbeaten in their previous six and looking to put pressure on Athletic Club and the Champions League qualification places.

As the business end of the season approaches, Ancelotti's men are fighting on many fronts, having played twenty-two times since the start of 2025. Next week will be a welcome break in the schedule with the international break.

Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger — IMAGO / Alex Perez

In the reverse fixture, Real Madrid ran out 2-0 victors against Villarreal at the Bernabeu, with goals from Fede Valverde and Vinicius Jr.

The last five contests in La Liga have been evenly matched, with Real Madrid winning two, Villarreal winning two, and one draw.

Date	Result
October 5, 2024	Real Madrid 2-0 Villarreal
May 19, 2024	Villarreal 4-4 Real Madrid
December 17, 2023	Real Madrid 4-1 Villarreal
April 8, 2023	Real Madrid 2-3 Villarreal
January 7, 2023	Villarreal 2-1 Real Madrid

Real Madrid Team News vs Villarreal

After this week's Champions League second-leg victory over Atletico Madrid going the full 120-minute distance, Ancelotti has said that his squad is not fully fit for tomorrow's game.

We won't be fresh tomorrow. There's tiredness. But we will try to play a smart game, with motivation.
Carlo Ancelotti

Many players have reported discomfort, including Vinicius Jr., who trained inside today and is a doubt tomorrow. Antonio Rudiger, Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde, and Kylian Mbappe are also among those who are not 100%.

🚨 Rüdiger, Valverde, Bellingham, and Mbappé have been struggling with discomfort.

They haven't been at 100% for a while. @relevo pic.twitter.com/Ht1XWWOTWR
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) March 14, 2025

Rotation is expected from Ancelotti, but with the importance of the game within the context of La Liga against a very strong Villarreal team, it will still be taken seriously by the Italian.

Ferland Mendy is out of the clash due to an injury he sustained during the Atletico Match