A high-flying Real Madrid look to reach the summit of the table in La Ligaas they face a struggling Villarrealside who are hovering in the second-half of the table.
Real Madrid enter the contest on the back of a scinitllating comeback against Union Berlin in the UCL midweek. A brace from Spanish forward Joselu helped Los Blancos come from a goal down to secure three points and enter the Round of 16 in style. Ancelotti's men will now be focused on leapfrogging Girona and reach the top of the La Liga table.
Villarreal, on the other hand, have just four wins from their 16 games as they are struggling in the bottom half of the table. The Yellow Submarine are just three points above the drop zone as they have managed just one win in their previous five games with three losses and one draw as they look to revamp their campaign.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Real Madrid vs Villarreal kick-off time
| Date: | December 17, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 8:00 pm GMT |
| Venue: | Estadio Santiago Bernabeu |
Real Madrid will host Villarreal at the illustrious Estadio Santiago Bernabeu with kick-ff scheduled at 8:00 pm GMT in the US.
How to watch Real Madrid vs Villarreal online - TV channels & live streams
 | Viaplay Sports 2 | Watch here |
 | LaLigaTV | Watch here |
The La Liga fixture will be available to watch on Viaplay Sports 2 and LaLigaTVin the US with live updates on GOAL's Live Match Centre.
Team news & squads
Real Madrid team news
Real Madrid remain without long-term absentees Vinicius Junior, Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao, Arda Guler, Dani Carvajal, and Eduardo Camavinga.
Aurelien Tchouameni returned to the squad after recovering from his lower-body injury and could need another game for to start in the engine room.
Real Madrid predicted XI: Kepa; Vazquez, Rudiger, Alaba, Mendy; Valverde, Kroos, Modric; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Joselu
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Kepa, Lunin |
| Defenders: | Alaba, Rudiger, Nacho, Mendy, Garcia, Vazquez |
| Midfielders: | Valverde, Kroos, Ceballos, Modric, Bellingham |
| Forwards: | Rodrygo, Joselu, Brahim |
Villarreal team news
The visitors will be without Santi Comesana,Aissa Mandi,Yeremi PinoandDenis Suarez as all of them recover from their respective knocks.
Alexander Sorloth and Gerard Moreno are touted to lead the forward line and hurt Los Blancos' hopes.
Villarreal predicted XI: Jorgensen; Foyth, Albiol, Gabbia, Alti; Capoue, Parejo, Baena; Akhomach, Sorloth, G Moreno
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Jorgensen, Reina |
| Defenders: | Gabbia, Cuenca, Albiol, Pedraza, A. Moreno, Foyth, Femenia, Altimira |
| Midfielders: | Terrats, Capoue, Coquelin, Comesana, Parejo, Trigeuros, Baena |
| Forwards: | G. Moreno, Sorloth, Morales, Brereton Diaz, Akhomach |
Head-to-Head Record
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Apr 2023 | Real Madrid 2-3 Villarreal | La Liga |
| 20 Jan 2023 | Villarreal 2-3 Real Madrid | Copa del Ray |
| 7 Jan 2023 | Villarreal 2-1 Real Madrid | La Liga |
| 12 Feb 2022 | Villarreal 0-0 Real Madrid | La liga |
| 28 Sept 2021 | Real Madrid 0-0 Villarreal | La Liga |