Real Madrid host Villarreal at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, with kick-off at 8pm UK time. Jose Mourinho’s side sit fourth on 15 points, six behind leaders Barcelona, and need a response after losing 2-1 at Atletico Madrid before the international break. Villarreal, meanwhile, are ninth on eight points but have won their last two league games, and Madrid’s injury list gives them a genuine chance of making this awkward.
Anthony Eadson’s Real Madrid vs Villarreal predictions, best bets and score prediction are below.
Premium Tips
Anthony Eadson has picked out two Premium Tips for Real Madrid vs Villarreal, pairing a player shots angle on the visitors with a bigger-priced result market.
| Premium Tip | Odds | Why we’re backing it |
|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid to win and both teams to score | 5/4 (bet365) | Villarreal have conceded in all seven of their league games, including all four on the road, but they have scored in six of the seven, so they rarely go home empty-handed. Real Madrid have won five of their seven league games, yet they have also conceded in each of their last four. With Huijsen suspended and Militao a doubt, Madrid’s back line looks stretched, so a home win with goals at both ends is the angle we like. Real Madrid to win with both teams scoring pays 5/4. |
| Real Madrid to win by exactly one goal | 10/3 (bet365) | Real Madrid have the quality to win this, but a stretched back line points to a tighter game than their home record suggests. Dean Huijsen is suspended, Raul Asencio is out after shinbone surgery and Ibrahima Konate is a doubt, while Jose Mourinho’s men have conceded in six of their seven league games. Villarreal have scored in six of their seven league outings and arrive on a two-game winning run. Kylian Mbappe, scorer of seven league goals, is also a doubt with a knee problem. Two of Madrid’s five league wins have come by a single goal, 2-1 at Espanyol and 3-2 at Elche. Real Madrid to win by exactly one goal is 10/3. |
18+ only. Please gamble responsibly. GambleAware — gambleaware.org · Odds correct at time of publishing.
How Real Madrid go into the game
Last time out, Real Madrid lost 2-1 at Atletico Madrid on 20 September, with Antonio Rudiger’s 89th-minute goal coming too late and Dean Huijsen sent off in the 52nd minute. That was their second league defeat of the campaign after a 1-0 loss at Real Betis, and it leaves them fourth with five wins from seven games. At the Bernabeu, however, they have been ruthless, beating Real Sociedad 4-1, Malaga 4-0 and Rayo Vallecano 4-1 to score 12 goals in three home league games.
Kylian Mbappe is the big worry. Sports Mole reported on 28 September that he hyperextended his left knee on France duty and could be held back for the Champions League visit of Roma on 14 October. Mbappe has seven league goals this season, including a hat-trick against Real Sociedad, while Jude Bellingham has added three. The defence is stretched too: Huijsen is suspended, Raul Asencio is out after shinbone surgery, Ibrahima Konate is a doubt with a knee problem and Eder Militao has not played since April. Unsurprisingly, Madrid have kept just one clean sheet in seven league games.
How Villarreal go into the game
Villarreal arrive in better shape than their position suggests. They beat Levante 3-1 at the Estadio de la Ceramica last time out, three days after a 3-1 win at Malaga, ending a run of four straight defeats in all competitions. That run included a 1-0 loss at Alaves, home defeats to Deportivo La Coruna (3-2) and Real Betis (2-1), and a 3-2 Champions League defeat at Borussia Dortmund.
Goals have rarely been a problem. Villarreal have scored 13 times in seven league games and found the net in six of them, with Pape Gueye on three goals and Alberto Moleiro, Gerard Moreno, Georges Mikautadze and Nicolas Pepe on two each. On the other hand, they have conceded 12, so they will need to be far tighter in Madrid. No fresh Villarreal injury news had emerged by Wednesday.
Real Madrid vs Villarreal head-to-head
| Date | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24/01/26 | Villarreal | 0-2 | Real Madrid |
| 04/10/25 | Real Madrid | 3-1 | Villarreal |
| 15/03/25 | Villarreal | 1-2 | Real Madrid |
| 05/10/24 | Real Madrid | 2-0 | Villarreal |
| 19/05/24 | Villarreal | 4-4 | Real Madrid |
Villarreal have not beaten Real Madrid in the last six meetings, losing five and drawing one, a wild 4-4 in May 2024. Madrid won 2-0 at Villarreal in January and beat them 3-1 at the Bernabeu in October 2025, scoring at least twice in every one of those six games.
Real Madrid vs Villarreal predictions & betting tips
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid to win and both teams to score | 5/4 (bet365) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Villarreal have scored in six of seven and conceded in all seven. |
| Real Madrid to win by exactly one goal | 10/3 (bet365) | ⭐⭐⭐ | Madrid have conceded in six of seven league games and are short at centre-back |
| Correct score: Real Madrid 2-1 Villarreal | 17/2 (bet365) | ⭐⭐ | Fits a narrow home win with Villarreal on the scoresheet |
Real Madrid vs Villarreal score prediction
Mourinho’s side should edge this, but Villarreal have scored in six of seven league games and Madrid’s defensive absences make a clean sheet unlikely. With Mbappe a doubt, we expect a narrow home win rather than another four-goal rout. Score prediction: Real Madrid 2-1 Villarreal.
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