Real Madrid vs Villarreal will kick off on 10 Oct 2026 at 15:00 EST and 21:00 GMT.
Los Blancos have ground to make up after the break
LaLiga is finally back after a three-week international hiatus. Real Madrid have to bounce back after a defeat to Atletico Madrid, especially considering the red-hot form of leaders Barcelona. Jose Mourinho's men's second LaLiga defeat of the campaign left them six points adrift of Barca who have started the season with seven wins from seven.
Getty ImagesThe Yellow Submarine are improving
After a six-match winless streak, including a sequence of four consecutive defeats across all competitions, Villarreal have shown a resurgence recently. Consecutive LaLiga wins over Malaga and Levante came at a welcome time, and those results have lifted the Yellow Submarine up to eighth in LaLiga.
Getty ImagesWill Vini be dropped?
Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr has only scored once all season and could be dropped here, although an ongoing knee injury for Kylian Mbappe complicates matters , but rumours suggest that the French superstar could be involved.
Key stats & injury news
- Kylian Mbappe, Ibrahima Konate and Fede Valverde are all doubts for Madrid, but encouragingly, Eder Militao is back in training after a long spell on the sidelines.
- Real Madrid have won the last four H2Hs, with Kylian Mbappe scoring five times in that sequence.
- Madrid are without a clean sheet in five matches, while Villarreal are without a shutout in all eight of their competitive matches this term.
- Villarreal have scored at least twice in four of their last five outings across all competitions.
Getty ImagesTeam news & squads
Real Madrid vs Villarreal Probable lineups
Manager
- J. Mourinho
Mourinho faces a heavily depleted defensive unit. Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, and Raul Asencio are all out through injury, and Dean Huijsen is suspended. Rodrygo, Federico Valverde, Ibrahima Konate, and Kylian Mbappe are also unavailable, leaving the squad stretched across multiple positions. No probable starting lineup has been confirmed, and updates are expected closer to kick-off.
Villarreal have a cleaner bill of health, with Santi Comesana their only reported injury concern. Inigo Perez has no suspensions to contend with and should have the bulk of his squad available for selection.
Form
Real Madrid have won three and lost two of their last five matches across all competitions. Their most recent outing ended in a 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid in LaLiga, and they also lost 1-0 to Real Betis earlier in the run. The brighter results include a 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano and a 2-1 Champions League victory against Inter. Across the five matches, they have scored ten goals and conceded five.
Villarreal have also won two and lost two of their last five, with one further defeat rounding out the record. They beat Levante 3-1 most recently and won 1-3 away at Malaga before that. Their losses came against Real Betis, Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League, and Deportivo de A Coruna. They have scored ten goals and conceded nine across those five fixtures.
Head-to-Head Record
The most recent meeting between these sides ended in a 0-2 win for Real Madrid away at Villarreal in January 2026 in LaLiga. Looking at the last five head-to-head fixtures, Real Madrid have won four and drawn one, with the only exception being a 4-4 draw at Villarreal in May 2024. Real Madrid have scored eleven goals across those five matches, conceding six.
Standings
Real Madrid sit fourth in LaLiga, while Villarreal are ninth. The gap between the sides in the table reflects Real Madrid's expectation to be challenging at the top, and a win would move them closer to the leading pack.