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Villarreal vs Real Madrid - Predictions, Stats & Odds

La Liga Statistics, AI predictions, (Expected) Lineups and Insights for Gameweek 21

La Liga - Gameweek 21

Saturday, 24 Jan 2026 • 21:00

Villarreal

0 : 2

Real Madrid

Goals

47'
0 : 1
Kylian Mbappé
0 : 1
Kylian Mbappé47'
90'
0 : 2
Kylian Mbappé
0 : 2
Kylian Mbappé90'

Game Review

Real Madrid secured a 2-0 victory over Villarreal in their La Liga clash on Saturday, 24 January 2026. The win was largely expected given Real Madrid's strong form and squad depth, and it was Kylian Mbappé (GAP +7.6%) who made the difference with both goals in the second half. The match remained goalless in the first half, with both teams struggling to create clear-cut chances. However, Real Madrid came out with renewed vigor after the break. Kylian Mbappé broke the deadlock in the 47th minute, showcasing his clinical finishing ability. He doubled the lead in the 90th minute, sealing the victory for the visitors. In terms of tactical setup, Real Madrid's manager made no changes to the starting lineup from their previous match, maintaining a consistent approach. Villarreal, on the other hand, also fielded the same starting eleven, indicating confidence in their squad despite the challenging opposition. Key performances included Thibaut Courtois (GAP +6.8%), who was instrumental in keeping a clean sheet, and Jude Bellingham (GAP +5.7%), who controlled the midfield effectively. Federico Valverde (GAP +5.9%) also contributed significantly to Real Madrid's dominance in the center of the park. For Villarreal, Juan Marcos Foyth (GAP +5.3%) and Gerard Moreno (GAP +2.9%) were among the standout performers, but they were unable to break through Real Madrid's resolute defense. This result sees Real Madrid solidify their position at the top of the La Liga table, continuing their impressive run of form. Villarreal, meanwhile, will need to regroup and focus on their upcoming fixtures to climb the standings. Post-match reactions highlighted the effectiveness of Real Madrid's attacking prowess, with fans and pundits praising Mbappé's decisive contributions. The victory further cements Real Madrid's status as title contenders this season.

Lineups

Villarreal

PosPlayer
GK
Luiz Júnior
DEF
Juan Marcos Foyth
DEF
Pau Navarro
MID
Daniel Parejo
MID
Pape Gueye
MID
Renato Veiga
MID
Alberto Moleiro
FWD
Gerard Moreno
FWD
Alfonso Pedraza
FWD
Tajon Buchanan
FWD
Georges Mikautadze

Substitutes

24'Rafa Marínfor Juan Marcos Foyth
70'Tanitoluwa Oluwaseyifor Gerard Moreno
70'Nicolas Pépéfor Tajon Buchanan
77'Ayoze Pérezfor Georges Mikautadze
77'Thomas Parteyfor Daniel Parejo

Real Madrid

PosPlayer
GK
Thibaut Courtois
DEF
Álvaro Carreras
DEF
Dean Huijsen
DEF
Raúl Asencio
MID
Federico Valverde
MID
Jude Bellingham
MID
Eduardo Camavinga
MID
Arda Güler
FWD
Vinícius Júnior
FWD
Kylian Mbappé
FWD
Franco Mastantuono

Substitutes

74'Gonzalo Garcíafor Franco Mastantuono
80'Brahimfor Arda Güler
Difference Maker Star: Top 3 players of their team

League Table after the game

#TeamPWDLGFGAGDPtsForm
2Real Madrid2116324517+2851
W
W
W
W
W
4Villarreal2013253721+1641
L
W
W
L
L

Last Games

Villarreal

@Real Betis
0 - 2
vsDeportivo Alavés
3 - 1
@Elche
3 - 1
vsBarcelona
0 - 2
vsGetafe
2 - 0

Real Madrid

vsLevante
2 - 0
vsReal Betis
5 - 1
vsSevilla
2 - 0
@Deportivo Alavés
2 - 1
vsCelta Vigo
0 - 2

Head-to-Head

24 Jan 2026
Villarreal0 - 2Real Madrid
24 Jan 2026Villarreal
0 - 2
Real Madrid
04 Oct 2025
Real Madrid3 - 1Villarreal
04 Oct 2025Real Madrid
3 - 1
Villarreal
15 Mar 2025
Villarreal1 - 2Real Madrid
15 Mar 2025Villarreal
1 - 2
Real Madrid
05 Oct 2024
Real Madrid2 - 0Villarreal
05 Oct 2024Real Madrid
2 - 0
Villarreal
19 May 2024
Villarreal4 - 4Real Madrid
19 May 2024Villarreal
4 - 4
Real Madrid

La Liga

Gameweek 21

23 Jan • 21:00
Levante
Elche
3 - 2
24 Jan • 14:00
Rayo Vallecano
Osasuna
1 - 3
24 Jan • 16:15
Valencia
Espanyol
3 - 2
24 Jan • 18:30
Sevilla
Athletic Bilbao
2 - 1
24 Jan • 21:00
Villarreal
Real Madrid
0 - 2
25 Jan • 14:00
Atlético Madrid
Mallorca
3 - 0
25 Jan • 16:15
Barcelona
Real Oviedo
3 - 0
25 Jan • 18:30
Real Sociedad
Celta Vigo
3 - 1
25 Jan • 21:00
Deportivo Alavés
Real Betis
2 - 1
26 Jan • 21:00
Girona
Getafe
1 - 1

What is GAP?

What is Plus Minus Goals (G±)?

Plus Minus Goals (G±) is the average goal difference per game while the player was on the pitch. A value above 0 indicates that the team rather wins, a value below 0 means his team concedes more goals than they score when the player is on the pitch. As an example, if the player's team is winning 3:1 the goal difference is +2, if the player's team is loosing 0:1, the goal difference is -1. It is a pure metric which is barely adjusted for circumstances to purely show the goal difference.

What is GAP?

GAP (Game Advantage Percentage) shows the percentage gap between a player and the average league player. It answers the question: How much does a player improve or worsen a team's performance? It is based on high level game data with a focus on the impact on the goal difference (G±) from the last 50 games of a player. Besides that, GAP goes further and considers game context by involving data from the player and all other players who are at the same time on the pitch, no matter if teammates or opponents. Football GAP - the individual metric for team players.