La Liga champions Real Madrid will be bidding to make it 10 straight wins in Spain's top flight when they take on European-chasing Villarreal at Estadio de la Ceramica on Sunday evening.
Real Madrid were confirmed as title winners at the start of May and are now building towards the Champions League final, while Villarreal still have a chance of finishing seventh in the table.
Match preview
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Villarreal struggled in the first half of the 2023-24 campaign, but the Yellow Submarine's form this year has put them in a position to potentially qualify for Europe next season, which looked so unlikely for long spells.
Marcelino's side are eighth in the table, five points behind seventh-placed Real Betis, who are currently in the position to qualify for the Conference League playoff round.
Villarreal are also only six points behind sixth-placed Real Sociedad; the Basque outfit have the superior head-to-head record, though, so the highest that the Yellow Submarine can finish this term is seventh, and they will need Real Betis to drop points in their final two fixtures.
The Yellow Submarine will enter the match off the back of a 1-0 victory over Girona, and they have triumphed in four of their last five league fixtures, including their last two at home against Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla, finding the back of the net on six occasions in the process.
Marcelino's side have struggled for consistency at home this season, winning seven, drawing four and losing seven of their 18 league games in front of their own supporters, but they have won four of their last five at Estadio de la Ceramica and have lost only one of their last nine.
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Real Madrid's title success was confirmed on May 4, and they then booked their spot in the Champions League final with a 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich in the second leg of their semi-final at Bernabeu.
Carlo Ancelotti's side have since beaten Granada 4-0 and Alaves 5-0 in Spain's top flight, and they will now take on Villarreal and Real Betis in their final two league games of the campaign before tackling Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final on June 1 at Wembley Stadium.
Real Madrid have proven to be comfortably the best side in La Liga this season, boasting a record of 29 wins, six draws and one defeat from their 36 matches to collect 93 points, while they have the best attacking record, scoring 83 times, and best defensive record, conceding only 22.
By beating Alaves, Los Blancos equalled their longest unbeaten run in La Liga, which currently stands at 30, with that number also achieved between May 1988 and April 1989, so they could create history on Sunday.
Ancelotti has had the luxury of rotating his squad in recent matches, with the Italian working to ensure that his players are in prime condition for the Champions League final.
Real Madrid will be bidding to make it a league double over Villarreal this season, having recorded a 4-1 victory when the two teams locked horns for the reverse fixture back in December.
Team News
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Villarreal will be without the services of Kiko Femenia on Sunday, with the right-back sent off in the latter stages of his side's one-goal success over Girona last time out.
A lengthy injury list, meanwhile, includes Raul Albiol, Francis Coquelin, Alfonso Pedraza, Gerard Moreno, Juan Foyth, Denis Suarez and Yeremy Pino, with all seven players expected to be unavailable.
Alexander Sorloth has scored 19 times in La Liga this season, and he will again lead the Villarreal line, with Goncalo Guedes set to join him in the final third of the field.
Meanwhile, Bertrand Traore's impressive performance and goal against Girona could lead to him retaining his spot on the right-side of the midfield against the champions.
As for Real Madrid, David Alaba remains a long-term absentee with a knee injury, and he is believed to have undergone a second operation earlier this week.
Aurelien Tchouameni is also out with the foot injury which he suffered against Bayern, and the Frenchman faces a battle to be available for the Champions League final.
Ancelotti has been rotating his squad since the title was secured, and that will again be the case here, with Arda Guler, Dani Ceballos, Fran Garcia, Joselu, Lucas Vazquez, Brahim Diaz and Luka Modric among those expected to start.
Andriy Lunin could also come back in between the sticks, but Thibaut Courtois is likely to start the final game of the league season against Real Betis and then be given the nod for the Champions League final.
Villarreal possible starting lineup:
Jorgensen; Cuenca, Bailly, Mosquera, Terrats; Traore, Comesana, Parejo, Baena; Guedes, Sorloth
Real Madrid possible starting lineup:
Lunin; Vazquez, Rudiger, Nacho, F Garcia; Ceballos, Camavinga, Modric; Guler; Brahim, Joselu
We say: Villarreal 1-1 Real Madrid
Villarreal have only lost one of their last five La Liga games with Real Madrid and actually triumphed in both league fixtures between the two sides last term.
Real Madrid will not be at full strength for this contest, and taking into account Villarreal's form, we are expecting the Yellow Submarine, even with their injury problems, to be good enough for at least a point.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
