If your weekends were empty without La Liga, I have great news. The Spanish tournament returned right before the end of the year, and this weekend, several crucial games are scheduled, including Villarreal vs. Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona.
We’re focusing on the first. The Yellow Submarine could climb up to fourth place with a victory, while Los Blancos aim for the top of the standings. As expected, the reigning champs dominate the soccer lines, but they’ve suffered quite a lot in their last visits to El Madrigal.
Let’s check the latest La Liga odds, stats, injury reports, and La Liga lines for Villarreal vs Real Madrid. We’ve plenty of La Liga betting odds for you to consider.
Villarreal: One Win Away From Fourth Place
Villarreal wasted no time and defeated Valencia 2-1 in the resumption of La Liga last weekend. The Yellow Submarine had to come from behind since Edinson Cavani scored the opener for Los Che in the 21st minute. Samuel Chukwueze scored the equalizer right before the end of the first half, while Juan Marcos Foyth scored the winning goal in the 88th minute.
Midweek, the Yellow Submarine crushed Cartagena in the Round of 32 of the Copa del Rey. Chukwueze, Alejandro Rodriguez, Arnaut Danjuma, Jose Luis Morales and Etienne Capoue were the scorers.
Villareal is a well-balanced team that has scored in its last nine games in all competitions and has allowed 11 goals in La Liga. Only Barcelona, the team atop the standings, has allowed less, with six. That’s what makes the Yellow Submarine a good option for an online gambling underdog, especially at +220.
Having Gerard Moreno back also makes this team a solid betting option. The veteran striker missed several games due to injury but is ready to go at full speed.
Real Madrid: Highly Motivated
Like Villarreal, Real Madrid returned to action with a couple of victories. First, Los Blancos defeated Valladolid 2-0 on the road. Karim Benzema was named Man of the Match after scoring a brace. The Frenchman is the team’s top scorer with seven goals.
Midweek, Los Blancos suffered a bit more than expected but still defeated Cacereno 1-0 in the Round of 32 of the Copa del Rey. Head coach Carlo Ancelotti gave minutes to several players who usually don’t play. Rodrygo was the scorer.
With the return of Benzema, who missed a lot of games in 2022 due to injury, Real Madrid’s attacking unit regained a lot of confidence. In addition, Luka Modric, who missed the game against Valladolid due to personal matters, will be available for Saturday’s clash.
Los Blancos are offering a +110 price to win straight up. Considering they’re the top-scoring team in La Liga with 35 goals and 7-0-1 when playing on the road, that’s a great betting online deal.
Villarreal vs Real Madrid Head-to-Head
- Previous Matches: 46
- Villarreal Victories: 4 (43 goals)
- Real Madrid Victories: 26 (91 goals)
- Draws: 16
Last season, these two drew 0-0 in both La Liga meetings, but don’t worry, that’s not normal. Prior to those results, the last 0-0 between the two was in the 2006-07 season. What has become a trend is for them to tie when playing at Villarreal’s stadium. The last five matchups at El Madrigal finished with a draw.
You can expect a close, back-and-forth battle. Real Madrid scored 1.4 goals per game in their last 10 encounters with Villarreal, while the Yellow Submarine scored 1.2 goals per game.
Villarreal vs Real Madrid Match Information
- Match: Villarreal vs Real Madrid
- Date: Saturday, Jan. 7
- Time: 10:15 a.m. ET
- Location: El Madrigal, Villarreal
- Villarreal vs Real Madrid Live Stream: fuboTV
Villarreal vs Real Madrid Betting Lines
Villarreal vs Real Madrid Picks & Prediction
Real Madrid is used to being the favorite. Nevertheless, it isn’t usual for Los Blancos to offer a price like +110. That’s just too good a deal not to include in your soccer picks, especially with Modric coming back. That being said, I do expect Los Blancos to suffer. In fact, I expect them to win 1-0, which is why I also recommend the under at -115.
