Real Madrid will look to bounce back from a shock 1-0 defeat away to 
Lille OSC in the 
UEFA Champions League in midweek when they host Villarreal CF at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday.
Real Madrid vs Villarreal Details | |
|---|---|
When | Saturday, Oct. 5 – 3PM EST/12PM PST |
Where | Estadio Santiago Bernabéu |
Where to Watch (USA) | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes |
Los Blancos were undone by a Jonathan David penalty shot in added time of the first half to drop their first points of their title defense in the Champions League.
The one silver lining for Madrid is that superstar forward Kylian Mbappé made his return to the pitch following a short spell with a thigh injury, playing 34 minutes in his first trip back to his native France with his new club. He is expected to be fully fit for the clash with Villarreal on Saturday.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men have now gone two games without a win, having split the spoils in a fiercely contested Madrid derby against 
Atlético Madrid last Sunday, allowing a late equalizer to settle for a 1-1 draw at the Wanda Metropolitano. They currently sit in second place in the league on 18 points.
Villarreal, meanwhile, are looking for a third consecutive win in La Liga, having defeated Las Palmas and Espanyol in the weeks following their 5-1 drubbing at the hands of league-leaders 
FC Barcelona. They trail Madrid by a single point in the standings, currently sat in third position on 17 points.
The Yellow Submarine will be the fresher of the two sides, with no European competition for them this season.
Villarreal Lineup vs Real Madrid
Villarreal manager Marcelino will likely roll with an almost identical lineup to the one that beat Las Palmas 3-1 at the Estadio de la Ceramica last time out.
European championship winner Alex Baena will be expected to fill in for the injured Denis Suarez, who left last weekend’s clash at half time with a muscle injury.
Former Arsenal man Nicolas Pepe is expected to lead the line once again after scoring his first goal for Villarreal against Las Palmas. Thierno Barry, who has two goals in seven La Liga appearances this season, should feature alongside him.
Villarreal starting XI (4-4-2): Diego Conde (GK) – Kiko Femenia, Eric Bailly, Logan Costa, Sergi Cardona – Illias Akhomach, Dani Parejo, Pape Gueye, Alex Baena – Nicolas Pepe, Thierno Barry.
Injuries & suspensions: Gerard Moreno (hamstring), Alfonso Pedraza (ankle), Juan Foyth (knee), Willy Kambwala (knock), Denis Suarez (muscle).
Real Madrid Lineup vs Villarreal
Real Madrid are sure to field a strong lineup on Saturday as they look to get back to winning ways and create some separation between themselves and Villarreal in the standings.
The Galacticos are currently hit by the injury bug, with a number of starters forced out with various ailments. Centre-back Eder Militao is the latest to find himself in the treatment room, reportedly injuring his thigh in the loss to Lille on Wednesday.
Rodrygo, who missed the UCL clash with Lille because of a back injury, should feature in the starting lineup on Saturday, completing Madrid’s fearsome front three.
Real Madrid starting XI (4-3-3): Andriy Lunin (GK) – Dani Carvajal, Aurelien Tchouameni, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy – Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham – Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Jr.
Injuries & suspensions: Thibault Courtois (muscle), Eder Militao (thigh), Brahim Diaz (hip), David Alaba (knee), Dani Ceballos (ankle).