Villarreal v Real Madrid Betting Tips
There are not many La Liga matches where you can back Real Madrid at odds-against. However, Los Merengues are currently trading at the 2.05 mark to claim three points at Estadio de la Cerámica. There will be plenty of backers at that price, with Alvaro Arbeloa hoping to steer them to a maximum haul as they battle it out with Barcelona for the title.
Real haven't been foot perfect on the road this season. They have won six of their ten away matches, with three of the other clashes resulting in a draw and there's also been one defeat. The departure of Xabi Alonso might have a liberating effect on the players, although there have been recent reverses. Barcelona beat them in the Super Cup final before a Copa Del Rey exit at the hands of Albacete.
Back in December, there were also consecutive defeats against Celta Vigo and Manchester City, so it's reasonable to assume that Villarreal have a chance of success. They have eight wins at home this season, along with one draw and one defeat. However, recent form has not been strong and there have been four defeats in the space of six games.
The downturn in form started with a 3-2 home defeat against Copenhagen in the Champions League. There was then a 2-1 loss at Racing in the Copa Del Rey before being beaten 2-0 at home to Barcelona. The defeat was effectively confirmed by a first-half red card, while discipline was also an issue at Betis when going down 2-0 recently.
Both teams will have had midweek Champions League clashes and perhaps the best bet on the Match Result market could be a draw. Real haven't been involved in a game ending all square since the end of November when holding Girona to a 1-1 draw.
Goals Under/Over
Over 2.5 Goals is likely to be a popular Bet Builder selection. Villarreal have amassed twenty-three goals across ten home matches, with Real Madrid having racked up twenty in the space of ten away encounters. Both teams will have their own reasons for playing for a victory. Real certainly can't afford to let Barcelona get further away in the title race and nearly always play a very attacking style of football.
With Real having Kylian Mbappe on the books and the Frenchman having scored nineteen goals in La Liga, this certainly strengthens the case for a high-scoring encounter. Marcelino's men carry a big threat at home, although that recent home clash against Villarreal ended in a 2-0 defeat and perhaps this game will follow a similar pattern.
Real Madrid's previous six away encounters have involved Over 2.5 Goals and there's the chance to push the boat further, with Over 3.5 Goals available at a backable price if you think the floodgates are going to open.
BTTS
According to the BTTS Yes odds, there is a 70% chance of this outcome happening. Since Real Madrid lost 2-1 at home to Manchester City on Wednesday 10 December, seven of their nine encounters have resulted in both teams finding the net. Los Merengues haven't drawn a blank on the road since a goalless draw at Rayo Vallecano on 9 November, with this attack-minded approach leading to the net bulging.
Real concede more than a goal per away game on average. The data is however slightly skewed considering that five of their eleven conceded goals came in one game at Atletico Madrid. Indeed, this bet largely comes down to whether you think Villarreal will keep up their end of the bargain.
On the one hand, Marcelino's men average 2.3 goals per home game. The goals are spread across the team and a recent 3-1 win over Alaves saw the Yellow Submarine efficiently score three goals from just four shots on target. Previously to that, they did exactly the same when winning 3-1 away to Elche when proving to be clinical.
We know that Villarreal won't see a huge amount of the ball. However, it's worth noting that they were still able to get five shots on target against Barcelona despite having a first-half sending off and only achieving 20% possession.
First Goalscorer
Kylian Mbappe is one goal away from reaching the twenty mark and the Frenchman is always a good starting point when it comes to the Player Props markets. He actually has thirty-five goals in all competitions this term. Fourteen goals have been scored across his past eleven games and that includes a four-goal Champions League salvo away to Olympiakos.
It's actually more likely that Mbappe will score as opposed to not finding the net. Raul Asencio was the other player to score against Levante and it was his second goal in the space of five games. The 22-year-old defender is getting into good scoring positions, with Gonzalo Garcia another player in a rich vein of form.
The forward could yet be turning out for Spain in the World Cup and he was able to score a hat-trick at home to Real Betis as part of a 5-1 win in early January. Since then, there was a strike in the 3-2 Super Cup final defeat before he was able to find the net once again in the Copa del Rey.
Alberto Moleiro has been among the goals recently. The young Spaniard was able to score at Elche and at home to Alaves, with two goals pilfered away to Real Sociedad back at the end of November.