Villarreal take on the visitors Real Madrid in the round 21 match of Spanish LaLiga. The match will be played on Saturday, January 24th at Estadio de la Ceramica (Villarreal).
Villarreal shows different faces across competitions. The "Yellow Submarine" reunited with Marcelino at the end of the season before last. After initially stabilizing the situation without reaching European qualification, the team finished the spring in the top five. That was enough to return to the Champions League, although the Spanish side clearly and completely failed there. In the most recent round against Ajax this week, they were no longer fighting for anything except reputation. In the cup, they were knocked out in December by the modest Racing. That period marked a downturn, but in January they started winning again in their main competition, La Liga, beating both Elche and Alaves 3-1. In the latest round, they slipped up against a regular European contender, Betis, losing 0-2. Recent league results suggest Villarreal remain competitive domestically, especially against mid-table opposition. However, setbacks against stronger rivals continue to expose inconsistency in their overall form.
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Real Madrid are one of the most successful football projects both historically and in modern times. That made the previous calendar year even more painful, as it brought no trophies at all — first under Ancelotti, who lost in the Champions League to Arsenal and conceded domestic dominance to Barcelona, and then under Xabi Alonso, who was beaten by PSG at the Club World Cup in the summer. The new season began with optimism, including a league victory over the Catalans, but a slump toward the end of 2025 left them four points behind the same rivals. In January’s Super Cup, after beating Atletico 2-1, they again lost to Barcelona, this time 2-3. Alonso was eventually dismissed, despite a heavy league win over Betis shortly before. Arbeloa then debuted as head coach in the cup with a defeat to Albacete, before finally securing his first victory against Levante. It should also be noted that Real Madrid were in action this week as well, playing Marseille in the Champions League. Their schedule has been demanding, and fatigue may once again play a role. At the same time, recent attacking displays suggest their matches are increasingly open and unpredictable.
In the last five meetings, the "Submarines" managed just one draw, albeit a 4-4 one, alongside four defeats. The visitors are expected to win, but this looks like a game where a "total over 3.0 goals" bet can be applied.
Prediction for the match: Over 3.0 scored goals.
