Villarreal vs Real Madrid
LaLiga 2018/19
Venue: Estadio de la Cerámica
Kick-off time: 8:30pm GMT
Real Madrid kick off 2019 with a trip to Villarreal as they look to cut Barcelona's lead at the top of LaLiga.
Real headed into the winter break on a high after being crowned as Club World Cup champions for a third straight year - a welcome trophy after a disastrous start to the 2018-19 season which saw Julen Lopetegui sacked after just four months.
Santiago Solari is now tasked with both defending Real's Champions League crown as well as hauling in Barca, who lead Los Blancos by eight points having played a game more.
Team news
Marcos Llorente, Marco Asensio and Mariano Diaz are all on the comeback trail for Real, while the rest of Solari's squad is fully fit
Score prediction: Villarreal 1-3 Real Madrid
Real have scored at least two goals in eight of their last 10 visits to Villarreal, while the hosts are currently 18th in the table with just three wins from 16 games.
It won't be a walkover by any means, but Real's front line should prove too strong on the night.
Betting tips via Betfair | UK users only | Subject to change
Match odds
- Real to win: 3/4
- Villarreal to win: 17/5
- Draw: 3/1
First goal scorer odds
- Gareth Bale: 16/5
- Karim Benzema: 7/2
- Carlos Bacca: 13/2
Click here to find the latest match odds and place a bet.
Villarreal vs Real Madrid tickets
Click here to check the availability of tickets.
TV channel and live stream online coverage
Eleven Sports have secured exclusive rights to La Liga coverage in the UK this season.
Fans can watch the match on Eleven Sports through iOS mobile and tablet apps as well as Android mobile.
You can also follow all the action with Standard Sport's LIVE blog.
Head to head (h2h) history and results
Real have scored at least two goals in eight of their last 10 visits to Villarreal.
However, Villarreal shocked Real with a 1-0 win at the Bernabeu last January, and also gained a 2-2 home draw on the final day of the season.
