Real Madrid vs Villarreal
Real Madrid are very well on their way to reclaim the La Liga championship. With one more victory, they have assured themselves of breaking their three-year title drought.
Zinedine Zidane’s men continue to run hot in form since the coronavirus-enforced break. With their win against Granada last Monday night, their winning streak has reached to nine fixtures.
Los Blancos are four points clear ahead of their bitter rivals in Barcelona with 83 points, so their La Liga 2020 odds point to them eventually bringing the crown over at the Bernabeu.
But even with the title right at their grasp, team boss Zinedine Zidane continues to preach consistency in order to ward off complacency since the job is not done yet.
This time, they turn their focus to Villarreal, whose Champions League aspirations were effectively extinguished when they lost recently to Real Sociedad.
Javier Calleja’s men are sitting at the fifth spot at the table with 57 points and they will jostle for position for the Europa League as their consolation.
They are definitely hungry for another win especially with the likes of Getafe and Real Sociedad breathing down on their necks.
So this match will be something to watch out for if you’re an SBOBET football fan, as we will either witness a crowning glory event for Los Blancos or the Yellow Submarine managing to stay afloat.
Talking Points
Los Blancos on the brink of glory
Lest you think that Los Blancos are resting on their laurels as of this moment, team skipper Sergio Ramos is echoing his manager’s message for the rest of the team.
In the last time out against the 10th-seeded Granada, Real Madrid averted a possible collapse despite having enjoyed a memorable first half performance.
Ferland Mendy and Karim Benzema got Los Blancos off to an auspicious start when they poured in goals in the 10th and 16th minute. However, in the second half, Zinedine Zidane’s men struggled to adjust to Diego Martinez’s changed tactics for Granada.
Darwin Machis found the back of the net five minutes after the halftime break with a cool finish, and then Antonin tested Real Madrid’s backline once more but was saved by Thibaut Courtois.
Ramon Azeez almost equalised during the closing stages, but his shot was cleared away by Sergio Ramos – finalising the victory for the visitors.
“We let our guard down a little bit in the second half when we saw it was 2-0. These things cannot happen because anyone can beat you if you don’t keep the intensity,” said Sergio Ramos during the post-game interview.
“It would mean a lot to be champions because it’s a reward for consistency of a whole year. Hopefully, on Thursday we can celebrate it at home,” he added.
Real Madrid would have to keep Ramos’ words in mind ahead of this clash because Villarreal made them quite uncomfortable in their reverse fixture back in September.
The Yellow Submarine missing out on the Champions League cruise
Villarreal’s recent string of La Liga 2020 results have been inconsistent. And because of that, they will have to settle for an Europa League berth for now.
Getting an Europa League spot isn’t exactly bad especially for a squad like Villarreal. But given how competitive these players are, for sure they are mad at themselves for missing out.
They have been unbeaten in six consecutive matches after the mandated hiatus, but most of them were against the lower-seeded teams.
So when they had run-ins against some of the best in Barcelona and Real Sociedad, they were dealt with a reality check in harsh fashion – conceding six goals while only scoring twice.
Now that securing an Europa League berth is their next mission, Javier Calleja’s men would have to make the most out of their remaining games against Real Madrid and Eibar.
The likes of Gerard Moreno, Santi Cazorla, and Paco Alcacer would need to be on their A-game in order to give themselves a chance come this weekend.
History
Real Madrid and Villarreal have met in 37 matches already – with the former winning 20 times while the latter only won four times along with 13 draws.
In the reverse fixture last September, Real Madrid averted a late collapse through goals from Gareth Bale – ending the match with a 2-2 draw.
Betting Tip
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Real Madrid vs Villarreal | Real Madrid Asian Handicap -1.00 @ 1.80 |
| July 17, 3:00 (GMT+8) |
Real Madrid are the hot favourites in the 1×2 market. They are priced at 1.40, while Villarreal are at 5.40 and a draw is at 4.20.
Since goals are expected for this one, you can also try and place your bets on either Over 2.50 @ 1.75 or Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.88.
But ultimately, I will go with an away victory for Los Blancos given their championship-calibre form. They are, after all, a class above the Yellow Submarine.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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