Football Previews
Villarreal vs Real Madrid
Competition – Spanish Primera
Stadium – Estadio de la Cerámica
Date: 3rd January
Kick-off time – 20:30 GMT
Villarreal host Real Madrid in this New Year fixture hoping to get the points that would help them avoid relegation from the Spanish top flight this season.
It has been a rough time for Villarreal who come into this game 18th position – a point behind Athletic Bilbao.
Villarreal have had to turn to their academy player Samuel Chukwueze to rescue them so many times this season.
The hosts have collected just 15 points from 16 games so far and they come into this game with no wins from their last three league games.
Real Madrid are also not having the best of seasons by their own standards, but their Club World Cup win has certainly lifted spirits around the Bernabeu and their fans will be hoping that winning that trophy can transform their season.
Prior to the Club World Cup, Madrid had won their last three league games and they will be looking to build on that in this game against a struggling Villarreal side.
Madrid’s biggest problem this season has been goal scoring.
They scored just 4 goals in their last three wins.
However, having kept clean sheets in those games, it could be a good day for them here if Villarreal continue to struggle after the Christmas break.
Bookmakers have priced Real Madrid up as slight odds-on favourites to get the job done.
Over 2.5 goals is trading strongly odds-on so expect goals while Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema are joint favourites to score the first goal of the game.
Other fixtures taking place this week in the Spanish Primera:
| January 3, 2025 | ||
| Valencia | 21:00 | Real Madrid |
| January 10, 2025 | ||
| Rayo Vallecano | 21:00 | Celta Vigo |
| January 11, 2025 | ||
| Alaves | 14:00 | Girona |
| Real Valladolid | 16:15 | Real Betis |
| Espanyol | 18:30 | Leganes |
| Sevilla | 21:00 | Valencia |
| January 12, 2025 | ||
| Las Palmas | 14:00 | Getafe |
| Atlético de Madrid | 16:15 | Osasuna |
| January 13, 2025 | ||
| Real Sociedad | 21:00 | Villarreal |
| January 17, 2025 | ||
| Espanyol | 21:00 | Real Valladolid |
| January 18, 2025 | ||
| Osasuna | 14:00 | Rayo Vallecano |
| Leganes | 16:15 | Atlético de Madrid |
| Celta Vigo | 18:30 | Athletic Bilbao |
| Getafe | 21:00 | Barcelona |
| January 19, 2025 | ||
| Real Betis | 14:00 | Alaves |
| Real Madrid | 16:15 | Las Palmas |
| Valencia | 18:30 | Real Sociedad |
| Girona | 21:00 | Sevilla |
| January 20, 2025 | ||
| Villarreal | 21:00 | Mallorca |
Spanish Primera Table
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | F | A | G | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlético de Madrid | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 33 | 12 | +21 | 41 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 18 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 41 | 18 | +23 | 40 |
| 3 | Barcelona | 19 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 51 | 22 | +29 | 38 |
| 4 | Athletic Bilbao | 19 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 29 | 17 | +12 | 36 |
| 5 | Villarreal | 18 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 34 | 30 | +4 | 30 |
| 6 | Mallorca | 19 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 19 | 21 | -2 | 30 |
| 7 | Real Sociedad | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 16 | 13 | +3 | 25 |
| 8 | Girona | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 26 | 25 | +1 | 25 |
| 9 | Real Betis | 18 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 21 | 22 | -1 | 25 |
| 10 | Osasuna | 18 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 23 | 27 | -4 | 25 |
| 11 | Celta Vigo | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 27 | 28 | -1 | 24 |
| 12 | Rayo Vallecano | 18 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 20 | 21 | -1 | 22 |
| 13 | Las Palmas | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 23 | 27 | -4 | 22 |
| 14 | Sevilla | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 27 | -7 | 22 |
| 15 | Leganes | 18 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 17 | 28 | -11 | 18 |
| 16 | Alaves | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 21 | 30 | -9 | 17 |
| 17 | Getafe | 18 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 15 | -4 | 16 |
| 18 | Espanyol | 18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 16 | 30 | -14 | 15 |
| 19 | Valencia | 17 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 16 | 26 | -10 | 12 |
| 20 | Real Valladolid | 18 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 37 | -25 | 12 |
Spanish Primera Results
| December 22, 2024 | ||
| Real Betis | 1 - 1 | Rayo Vallecano |
| Las Palmas | 1 - 0 | Espanyol |
| Leganes | 2 - 5 | Villarreal |
| Real Madrid | 4 - 2 | Sevilla |
| Valencia | 2 - 2 | Alaves |
| December 21, 2024 | ||
| Barcelona | 1 - 2 | Atlético de Madrid |
| Osasuna | 1 - 2 | Athletic Bilbao |
| Celta Vigo | 2 - 0 | Real Sociedad |
| Getafe | 0 - 1 | Mallorca |
| December 20, 2024 | ||
| Girona | 3 - 0 | Real Valladolid |
| December 18, 2024 | ||
| Espanyol | 1 - 1 | Valencia |
| Villarreal | 1 - 1 | Rayo Vallecano |
| December 15, 2024 | ||
| Barcelona | 0 - 1 | Leganes |
| Real Sociedad | 0 - 0 | Las Palmas |
| Villarreal | 1 - 2 | Real Betis |
| Alaves | 1 - 1 | Athletic Bilbao |
| Atlético de Madrid | 1 - 0 | Getafe |
Please Gamble Responsibly