Real Madrid travel to Villarreal in La Liga after progressing to the UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarter-finals in dramatic fashion in midweek, beating bitter city rivals Atletico Madrid in a penalty shootout which saw a Julian Alvarez spot-kick controversially disallowed for a double touch.
Despite the 1-0 defeat after extra-time, it represented Real's third overall victory in a row over all competitions, and sixth in their last seven games.
Villarreal lost 1-0 to Alaves in La Liga last time out, their first defeat in seven matches across all competitions. The Yellow Submarine will still be tough competitors though, as they currently sit in fifth place in the league, just three spots below Real.
They have also had an extra few days' rest, which could swing the odds further in their favour. However, Real are unbeaten in the previous three H2Hs, and did win the reverse fixture 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu that should help bolster their confidence.
How the bookies view it: Real favourites for important win
Real are Evens with BoyleSports to clinch an important victory in the title race. Alternatively, Villarreal are 17/10 to win at home, while a draw is priced at 14/5.
Recent head-to-head: Valverde inspired Real to victory
As mentioned, Real won the reverse fixture 2-0 at home. Federico Valverde was highly influential in the match, scoring and assisting, while Vinicius Jr also got on the scoresheet.
Players to watch: Will Vinicius Jr forget penalty fumble?
Ayoze Perez boasts three goals in Villarreal's last five games, and could cause Real problems.
Vinicius Jr skied his penalty that forced Real into a penalty shootout against Atletico, and Carlo Ancelotti even took him off shortly before they started. The Brazilian would have been hurt by that, and will want to want to bounce back immediately.
BoyleSports are offering 15/8 for Vinicius Jr to score anytime, which seems like a smart bet.
Predicted lineups
Villarreal have no fresh injury concerns heading into the clash, with Gerard Moreno, Ilias Akhomach and Kiko Femenia still on the treatment table.
Ferland Mendy will miss the game after coming off injured for Real against Atletico in midweek, as the French left-back joins Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Dani Ceballos and Jesus Vallejo on the sidelines.
Villarreal: Conde, Foyth, Kambwala, Costa, Cardona, Pino, Gueye, Parejo, Baena, Barry, Perez.
Real Madrid: Courtois, Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, Garcia, Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham, Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr.
Anything else catch the eye?
Both teams have scored in five of the previous six H2Hs, so backing Both Teams To Score (BTTS) again at 2/5 from BoyleSports is a safe market to explore.
There could be plenty of goals too, with no fewer than 28 scored over those six meetings at an average of 4.7 goals per match. Therefore, backing Over 4.5 Total Goals at 13/5 with BoyleSports could also be tempting.
This La Liga match between Villarreal and Real Madrid will be played on and kick off at 17:30. Check below for our tipsters best Villarreal vs Real Madrid prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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