Real Madrid vs Villarreal Review
Real Madrid secured their eighth consecutive home victory in La Liga, moving to the top of the standings with a 3-1 win against Villarreal. Xabi Alonso’s team aimed to bounce back from a disappointing derby loss to Atlético Madrid in their previous league match. Los Blancos tried to make an early impact, with Arda Güler firing a sharp angled shot over the crossbar after a slick one-two with Kylian Mbappé. Marcelino’s team absorbed significant pressure, while Real continued to create opportunities, with chances coming for Tchouaméni and Mastantuono as they looked to increase their advantage.
The Yellow Submarine aimed to deliver a surprise attack when Tani Oluwaseyi advanced toward the goal, but Alonso’s team owed thanks to Courtois for quickly stopping the Canadian international. On the other side, the impressive Mastantuono tried to take control, but his poorly struck shot narrowly missed the post in a match that was building up nicely as it approached halftime. Just two minutes into the second half, Madrid broke the deadlock when Vinícius Júnior made his signature run from the left wing, and his shot took a significant deflection off Santi Comesaña before slipping past Arnau Tenas at the near post.
Alonso’s team had an opportunity to extend their lead when Vinícius fell inside the box after a collision with Rafa Marín, and his resulting penalty slipped through Tenas’ hands, marking the Brazilian’s fourth goal in as many league head-to-head matches. From that moment on, the home team was purring, and Jude Bellingham was twice quickly denied by Tenas. Just as Real seemed to be comfortably heading towards victory, Georges Mikautadze reduced the deficit with an excellent driven shot past Courtois, bringing the match back into contention.
However, any hopes of a comeback were severely damaged when Santiago Mouriño received a second yellow card for pushing Vinícius aside, leaving the visitors with only 10 players. Mbappé sealed the win in the 81st minute by scoring Real’s third goal after some impressive combination play with Brahim Díaz. The goal appeared to deflate Villarreal, enabling Alonso’s team to comfortably finish the match. This victory extended their unbeaten head-to-head streak to five games (four wins, one draw), while Marcelino’s team saw their three-match winning run in the league come to an end.
