Looking to keep their four point lead against Barcelona at the top of La Liga's standings, Real Madrid will host Villarreal, who will try to confirm their good moment after winning a place in the Europa League's Round of 16.
Real Madrid seems to have remembered how to react when things are tight. After their loss against Atletico, Los Blancos have left no points on the road, collecting nothing but victories in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. Ancelotti's team will still have the absences of James Rodriguez, Sami Khedira, Luka Modric and Sergio Ramos, but with the resurgence of Pepe as a trustful center back can make the Italian coach cope with that loss. Furthermore, Lucas Silva keeps making things easier for Ancelotti when settiing up his midfield, giving him more options and providing quality rest for Toni Kroos. Upfront, Cristiano Ronaldo will try to end his scoreless streak at Santiago Bernabeu stadium, with a little help from his BBC friends.
On the other side of the pitch, Villarreal will try to win their first match against Los Blancos after seven straight losses playing in Madrid. Marcelino Garcia Toral's team eliminated Salzburg this week from Europa League action, and they did it with class and excellent ball handling skills. Luciano Vietto has added depth to Marcelino's squad, along with some quick definition moves. Vietto's 18 goals in all competitions lead the Yellow Submarine this season, and his presence will surely be noticed in his first visit to Real Madrid's home. Nevertheless, one of the team's hottest prospects, Denis Cheryshev, will not be eligible for this match, since he is currently on loan from Real Madrid.
During their previous game this season, Villarreal gave Los Blancos a hard time at El Madrigal, but Ancelotti's men managed to win with goals by Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo. This will be the sixteenth time Villarreal walk into Santiago Bernabeu stadium, and they will hope they can win their first-ever match against the current La Liga leaders.
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