Three talking points ahead of Villarreal vs Real Madrid | La Liga MD21 | OneFootball

When Real Madrid and Villarreal faced off earlier this season, the game turned out to be a controversial one where the Yellow Submarines were handed a red card late in the game, which helped Los Blancos deliver the final blow soon after.

The game was far closer than the 3-1 scoreline suggests, and Los Blancos must be prepared for an equally, if not more gruelling challenge, on Saturday night as they face the same opposition at Villarreal.

Real Madrid have won one of their last eight games and two of their last ten games at the Estadio de la Ceramica, and it has clearly been one of their most difficult venues to conquer over the years.

As they prepare for tomorrow’s clash, Alvaro Arbeloa’s men will look to put the history behind them and continue winning at the venue after breaking the curse last season.

Madrid Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Villarreal vs Real Madrid.

A clash between two leaders

Barcelona’s slip-up against Real Sociedad last weekend cut the league title race tighter and handed Real Madrid some much-needed ground to make up for.

Heading into matchday 21, Los Blancos are firmly in second place, just one point off the leaders Barcelona who have 49 points. They are, however, followed not too far off by Villarreal.

Can Alvaro Arbeloa’s Real Madrid deliver yet again? (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The Yellow Submarines have enjoyed a strong season so far, and notably even have a game in hand. Should they win that clash, they will move up to 44 points and will just be four points behind Real Madrid.

Tomorrow’s game away against Villarreal, thus, is a massive one in terms of the league title race as it sees two of the top three teams in the standings face off. A lot will be at stake.

A win over Villarreal will not only help Real Madrid put the pressure on Barcelona as the temporary leaders but also serve as a massive confidence boost for the dressing room.

A defeat at the Estadio de la Ceramica, however, will see Villarreal move to 44 points with a game in hand, and potentially just one point away from Real Madrid, including their game in hand.

A thin defence

The centre-back position has been one that has tormented Real Madrid for several seasons now, and beyond a point, it simply looks jinxed. After all, facing so many setbacks in the same department season after season is unbelievable.

Over the past few months, Real Madrid have again fallen into a centre-back crisis that they have been struggling to deal with. Eder Militao suffered a serious muscular setback while Antonio Rudiger has also been unavailable in recent weeks.

Adding Dean Huijsen and David Alaba’s uncertain fitness to the aforementioned problems has only compounded the manager’s crisis.

Heading into tomorrow’s clash, the defence once again appears thin. Raul Asencio and Dean Huijsen are indeed in the squad, but the latter has not played regularly in recent games despite being on the squad, raising questions about his fitness.

The only other option available is David Alaba, who himself has struggled to remain fit this season. Aurelien Tchouameni, the manager’s backup centre-back option, is suspended tomorrow night.

Multiple Real Madrid stars are out vs Villarreal. (Photo by Ion Alcoba Beitia/Getty Images)

Arbeloa’s challenge at the Ceramica on Saturday, thus, will not only be to find a working centre-back partnership but also rework the midfield to compensate for Tchouameni’s absence – all with a thin squad.

Can Real Madrid carry the momentum

Real Madrid’s 6-1 win over AS Monaco midweek in the UEFA Champions League was the team’s best performance in a long time, and both the players and the manager deserve credit for the same.

Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr were both at their best on the night, with Jude Bellingham also joining the action. The team also did well in defence and thus completed one of the best all-round performances of the season.

Having secured momentum on their side during the UCL game, Real Madrid are now on a rare high this season. The big question, however, is whether they can keep up the steam.

Taking on Villarreal, Real Madrid will need all the momentum they can get to take all three points on the night. More importantly, they need to win at the Ceramica to get into a good flow of momentum, something that is crucial at this stage of the season.

The only objective on Saturday, thus, will be to rack up a third straight win and improve the dressing room’s morale. After all, it could well be a massive game for the title race.