Real are level on points at the summit with Barcelona, but the goal difference tiebreaker has them in second place heading into the weekend round of matches. Barca will be in action on Sunday against 2021 champions Atletico Madrid.
While Real Madrid have won both of their matches since the return from the 2022 World Cup break — two road clean sheets, including one in the Copa del Rey — Villarreal have won three in that same span, with an additional round in the Copa del Rey tournament.
After going winless in his first four matches after taking over Villarreal from former coach Unai Emery, who moved to Aston Villa, Quique Setien has seen his Yellow Submarine win their last five straight competitive games. It’s a confidence-building run for a coach who had been out of the game for over two years.Madrid will be hoping to continue to build momentum of their own as they head into the Spanish Supercopa, which will be played in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It’ll be the second chance to hoist silverware in 2022/23 for Los Merengues, who already won the 2022 UEFA Super Cup in August.
Sporting News is following the Villarreal vs. Real Madrid match live and providing live score updates, commentary.MORE: Updated La Liga standings | La Liga top scorers
Villarreal vs Real Madrid live score
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| Villarreal | — | — | — |
| Real Madrid | — | — | — |
Goals:
None
Lineups:
Villarreal lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 1-Reina (GK) — 8-Foyth, 3-Albiol, 4-Pau, 18-A. Moreno — 16-Baena, 10-Parejo, 19-Coquelin — 11-Chukwueze, 7-G. Moreno, 21-Yeremy
Real Madrid (4-3-3, right to left): 1-Courtois (GK) — 3-Militao, 22-Rudiger, 4-Alaba, 23-Mendy — 10-Modric, 18-Tchouameni, 8-Kroos —15-Valverde, 9-Benzema, 20-Vinicius Jr
Villarreal vs Real Madrid live updates, highlights from La Liga
65 mins from kickoff: Villarreal’s lineup is out and there are no huge surprises except for the absence of Nicolas Jackson and Etienne Capoue due to what is being reported as muscle issues.
El @VillarrealCF informa que Capoue i Jackson tenen molèsties musculars
— Javi Mata (@javimatagil) January 7, 2023
75 mins from kickoff: The arrival of both team buses at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
➡️ ¡Así ha llegado el Real Madrid al Estadio de la Cerámica!
🎥 @anagarcees pic.twitter.com/P3t9LrMxCe
— El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) January 7, 2023
Llega el @VillarrealCF al Estadio de la Cerámica para medirse al @realmadrid Tarde soleada, habrá lleno total en el renovado y reluciente Estadio💛. Cinco empates en las ultimas cinco visitas del Madrid a Villarreal @ESPNPlus @ESPNDeportes pic.twitter.com/bAcSTtO9qL
— Gemma Soler (@gemma_soler) January 7, 2023
80 mins from kickoff: You’ll have noticed that Real Madrid are playing without a single Spanish player on the pitch to start the match. It’s becoming a talking point in the lead-up to kickoff.
El Real Madrid juega hoy sin ningún español en el once inicial:
🇨🇵 3 franceses
🇧🇷 2 brasileños
🇩🇪 2 alemanes
🇧🇪 1 belga
🇦🇹 1 austríaco
🇭🇷 1 croata
🇺🇾 1 uruguayo— Miguel Ángel Díaz (@miguelitocope) January 7, 2023
100 mins from kickoff: It’s yellow everywhere at La Ceramica.
🏟️🟡 Villareal pic.twitter.com/1V6i3HsoZ6
— LosMadridistas (@LosMadridistas_) January 7, 2023
¡El Estadio de la Cerámica, listo para albergar un apasionante #VillarrealRealMadrid 🔥! pic.twitter.com/QVuOWmybgf
— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) January 7, 2023
95 mins from kickoff: According to the math by Relevo reporter Jorge Picon, Real Madrid has the worst winning percentage away at Villarreal than at any other road venue in the last 20 years.
Ojo al dato que me pasa @LaLigaenDirecto: el Villarreal es el equipo contra el que el Real Madrid tiene peor porcentaje de victorias jugando como visitante en los últimos 20 años.
[31,58%] Villarreal
[33,33%] Barcelona
[37,50%] Sevilla pic.twitter.com/332pwUtUPn— Picón (@JorgeCPicon) January 7, 2023
105 mins from kickoff: The Copa del Rey Round of 16 draw was held this morning and look at the matchup that popped up. It’s Villarreal vs. Real Madrid at La Ceramica once again.
¡Ya tenemos rival en los octavos de final de la #CopaDelRey 🏆!
El Submarino se enfrentará al @realmadrid entre el 17 y 19 de enero pic.twitter.com/viaI0l69Av
— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) January 7, 2023
115 mins from kickoff: Real Madrid announce their starting lineup well in advance of kickoff.
📋✅ ¡Nuestro 𝗫𝗜 inicial 🆚 @VillarrealCF! #VillarrealRealMadrid | @UnicajaBanco pic.twitter.com/bazqUn4JHG
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) January 7, 2023
150 mins from kickoff: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti noted that he’s expecting an open match based on how Villarreal have been looking in recent weeks under new boss Quique Setien.
🎙| Ancelotti: “Setien’s Villarreal is very different from Emery’s Villarreal. They play more offensive football now. Winning there will be important.”
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) January 6, 2023
180 mins from kickoff: Marca’s front cover highlights the fact that the last five Real Madrid trips to face Villarreal have ended in a draw (noted with an ‘X’ in Europe).
#LaPortada 🗞️ Expediente X: cinco empates en las cinco últimas visitas del Real Madrid al campo del Villarreal pic.twitter.com/Cch01vrQla
— MARCA (@marca) January 6, 2023
Next opponent…
• Villarreal 0-0 Madrid (21/22)
• Villarreal 1-1 Madrid (20/21)
• Villarreal 2-2 Madrid (19/20)
• Villarreal 2-2 Madrid (18/19)
• Villarreal 2-2 Madrid (17/18)
• Villarreal 2-3 Madrid (16/17) pic.twitter.com/hay6YBqJ4d— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) January 4, 2023
MORE: Latest Real Madrid transfer news
Villarreal vs Real Madrid lineups
Alex Baena joins the midfield trio ahead of Etienne Capoue, who’s not even in the squad due to a muscle issue, which is also the case for Nicolas Jackson. So Arnaut Danjuma will be the alternative to now-healthy starting center-forward Gerard Moreno. Giovani Lo Celso is still injured, while goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli was transferred to Dutch club Ajax earlier this week.
Villarreal starting lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 1-Pepe Reina (GK) — 8-Juan Foyth, 3-Raul Albiol, 4-Pau Torres, 18-Alberto Moreno — 16-Alex Baena, 10-Dani Parejo, 19-Francis Coquelin — 11-Samuel Chukwueze, 7-Gerard Moreno, 21-Yeremy Pino
Villarreal subs (10): 35-Filip Jorgensen (GK), 23-Aissa Mandi, 24-Alfonso Pedraza, 2-Kiko Femenia, 5-Jorge Cuenca, 12-Johan Mojica, 14-Manu Trigueros, 22-Jose Luis Morales, 20-Manu Morlanes, 9-Arnaut Danjuma
Real Madrid are without three injured players who are not yet fit: forward Mariano Diaz, and right-backs Dani Carvajal and Alvaro Odriozola. Instead of lining up Lucas Vazquez at right-back again after he went a full 90 minutes in the 1-0 midweek Copa del Rey victory, it will be either Eder Militao or Antonio Rudiger filling in.
Real Madrid starting lineup (4-3-3, right to left): 1-Thibaut Courtois (GK) — 3-Eder Militao, 22-Antonio Rudiger, 4-David Alaba, 23-Ferland Mendy — 10-Luka Modric, 18-Aurelien Tchouameni, 8-Toni Kroos —15-Federico Valverde, 9-Karim Benzema, 20-Vinicius Jr
Real Madrid subs (10): 13-Andriy Lunin (GK), 26-Luis Lopez (GK), 17-Lucas Vazquez, 6-Nacho Fernandez, 5-Jesus Vallejo, 19-Dani Ceballos, 12-Eduardo Camavinga, 7-Eden Hazard, 11-Marco Asensio, 21-Rodrygo
MORE: Real Madrid squad list and jersey numbers for 2022/23
Watch Villarreal vs Real Madrid live stream, TV
Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica will be sold out for the La Liga showdown against defending Spanish and European champions Real Madrid.
The club made a victorious return to its stadium on Dec. 31 after playing home games in nearby Valencia for the first three months of the 2022/23 season while La Ceramica was being renovated.
| Date | Time | TV Channel | Streaming | |
| Australia | Sun, Jan. 8 | 02:15 AET | — | Optus Sport |
| Canada | Sat, Jan. 7 | 10:15 ET | TSN2 | TSN GO, TSN site/app |
| Hong Kong | Sat, Jan. 7 | 23:15 HKT | Now Sports 2 | Now Player, M Plus site/app |
| India | Sat, Jan. 7 | 20:45 IST | Sports18 | Voot Select, Sports18 |
| Malaysia | Sat, Jan. 7 | 23:15 MYT | beIN Sports | beIN Sports Connect, sooka |
| New Zealand | Sun, Jan. 8 | 04:15 NZST | — | beIN Sports Connect |
| Singapore | Sat, Jan. 7 | 23:15 SST | beIN Sports | beIN Sports Connect, Star Hub Sports+ |
| UK | Sat, Jan. 7 | 15:15 BST | — | LaLigaTV, Viaplay UK |
| USA | Sat, Jan. 7 | 10:15 ET | ESPN Deportes | fuboTV, ESPN+ |
UK: The match will be available on Viaplay (formerly Premier Sports) and on LaLigaTV.
USA: The Villarreal vs. Real Madrid match will be televised on ESPN Deportes which is streamed on fuboTV. It will also be streamed in English and Spanish on ESPN+.
Canada: TSN holds TV and streaming rights for La Liga in Canada. The Villarreal vs. Real Madrid match will be televised on TSN2 and streaming on TSN’s online platforms.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream all La Liga matches live and on demand on Optus Sport.
