Real Madrid - Villarreal summary: score, goals and highlights | LaLiga 2023/24
Real Madrid vs Villarreal: how it happened
Real Madrid 4-1 Villarreal: match summary
It was a tremendous way to sign off 2023 at the Santiago Bernabéu. Four goals, a dominant performance, and over 70,000 in attendance to watch Carlo Ancelotti’s side go back to the summit of LaLiga.
OK, so they all know that a home win for Girona on Monday will see Los Blancos slide back into second, but this was a statement win.
Madrid's first half dominance
Villarreal arrived with thoughts of surprising a few - Marcelino suggested his team had the weapons to do so - but it didn't take long for the hosts to make it clear who would be bossing the occasion. A very rare break from those in yellow were only interruptions to the steady, composed build-up play that was being cheered on by the tens of thousands in attendance.
When the breakthrough then came midway into the half, there was no surprise from where. Jude Bellingham scored his 13th in 15 and another to remember. While not spectacular, his header had to have enough power and precision to make it past Jorgensen. It did. And let's not forget the ball that found the English superstar, a delectable cross from Modric. Just as unsurprising.
More control developed and Rodrygo tucked home a loose ball on the 37th minute to send the team into the dressing rooms with a sense to many of 'job done'.
Second half stutter, then reaction
Los Blancos began the second period as they had left off and a third goal was only a matter of time. Well, that 'time' also included Villarreal hinting at a shock comeback when Morales finished off a lovely flowing move 10 minutes after the break.
Ancelotti's men didn't take too long to remind themselves of where they were and the story of the game got back on track. Diaz - who caught the eye again - twisted the away defence inside out to restore the cushion, before Modric added a fourth just a few minutes later.
With only 70' gone, we may have seen the scoreline extended further but substitutions were made knowing this game was won. At times tempers flared, Bellingham showed he was more than just talent as he fought for everything he could, and this was a perfect winter's send off for the home fans.
Next up for Madrid, a trip to Alavés, and then some rest and festive celebrations. We will have to wait to see whether or not they will be on top when Santa or the three kings arrive, but more distance from the likes of Barça and Atlético can only bode well.
Before I go, remember that Real Madrid and 15 other clubs will find out their opponents for the Champions League round of 16 on Monday.
Another day of LaLiga action is over and I thank you for joining me. Until the next time...
Full-time
Goals
Real Madrid: Bellingham 25', Rodrygo 37', Diaz 64', Modric 68'
Villarreal: Morales 54'
Peep, peep, peeeeep! The final whistle blows and Real Madrid claim all three points. Summary coming up.
Four more minutes being added on.
Capoue has been a constant menace tonight, breaking up play and niggling with his opponents, but it's been rather effective in the main. His latest knock on Ceballos has given Rodrygo a chance from around 20 yards out.
He steps up and curls his free kick goalwards, only for Jorgensen to claim... at the second attempt, lucky for him.
Plenty of corners for Madrid tonight, and Valverde has just forced another. A goal, the second, came from one of them but I'd like to see more inventiveness from the players in those situations.
Penalty shout for Villarreal but it was almost comical.
The visitors are having a little more of the play but failing to make any real progress towards Lunin's goal. With several substitutions - an impressive Brahim has just taken his leave - this now feels like we're just working our way to the inevitable ending.
Time's up for Bellingham, Ceballos replacing him.
Maybe a wise decision from Ancelotti given the card situation and his blood appeared to be rising in temperature at times.
Both sets of players getting stuck in but not much at either end. One drifted cross could have been useful but Jorgensen is bigger than the rest and can use his hands.
It's worth noting that for anyone who thinks Jude Bellingham is just a Rolls Royce of a player, please watch him more.
In this second half a few decisions have not gone his way and he is responding to that with a desire to just be better, fighting even harder, encouraging the crowd to get louder, and generally saying 'I'm the man, get me even more involved.'
Impressive stuff for a man still in his relative early days.
GOAL!!! Modric curls one home
It looked as though Rodrygo was going to get his second but as he appeared to be fouled (so a penalty could have been given) the Croatian pounced and meant there was no decision to make.
There's a booking worth talking about. Bellingham is shown the card but he can't believe it as his push on Altimira was to in mid-flight trying to get him to stop holding onto his shirt. The Villarreal man is also booked.
GOAL! Brahim Diaz finishes after a delightful dribble.
It was a flowing move and there were options available for the striker, which helped his cause, as he twisted and turned and slotted home. Lovely stuff.
Madrid starting to turn it on again with a couple of half chances not falling right.
The Yellow Submarine has found its buoyancy, come up for air and breathing new life into this game. Wait, is an underwater vessel more effective deeper and therefore in the opposite way?
Never mind the metaphors, just note that the goal appears to have given Marcelino's men a reason to believe and they do look to immediately be more meaningful in their play.
GOAL!!! And it's to Villarreal
Ignore everything I said below (well, apart from the 'we've seen before how momentum can swing') as Terrats levels with a lovely move from the visitors.
Let's see what that does to the flow of the game. I'm guessing not much...
If 70,500 is the answer, what is the question?
No, not Bellingham's hourly salary! The attendance in this game, of course!
The visitors are really struggling to a) keep the ball for very long and b) when they do have it, find any meaningful pass or chance creation.
Very solid and confident performance continuing from Los Blancos in these early moments of the second half.
What a tremendous piece of play from Madrid. So simple, passing from the back, with Lunin, all the way up the left hand side of the pitch eventually opening up a chance for Brahim Diaz who strikes straight at Jorgensen.
It deserved a goal.
We're off! Madrid getting it rolling and firing right to left as I look on.
OK, the players are heading back out. Let's get back into the game...
Jude back level with Boniface
As I mentioned before the game, Bellingham had dropped behind Leverkusen's Boniface in the U23s contributing to goals. His header tonight has him back on terms.
Rodrygo going well
As was the strategy with Real Madrid when they brought in the likes of Vinicius and Rodrygo, they knew that the best version of the players would take some time, despite initial signs of promise.
As OptaJose highlights, Rodrygo has now added his ninth in eleven in all comps. A serious pick up.
Peeeeep! The whistle blows and that'll do us for the first half.
It's been an excellent showing from the hosts so far and would take a huge change in dynamics if we are to see anything other than a win for the last game at the Bernabéu in 2023.
It's already got similarities to a boxing mismatch, and I mean that with no disrespect to the visitors. Madrid have their opponent at arms length and, at times, are just playing with them, waiting to land another blow.
Six minutes to be added here (injuries, subs and VAR check)
Modric and Jude again combine to great effect, as the Englishman's run down the left is picked out, giving him plenty of grass to run into. But then, as the yellow shirts descend, he slips and somehow, with what looked like the wrong foot, slides the ball into the path of Rodrygo who almost scores again.
The game was already feeling positive in the home team's favour but those goals have just cemented a sense of where this result is going.
Obviously we seen enough football in our time to know that momentum can swing, but there are no signs of it so far.
GOAL! Rodrygo doubles Madrid's lead.
It's a little scrappy in the area from the corner, but the ball slides out to the Brazilian who passes it into the corner of the net. Composed finish.
Really nice from Rodrygo, getting a half yard on his markers and firing a low cross... which unfortunately for Madrid evades everyone.
Nacho takes Alaba's place.
Alaba injured
Alaba is down and he looks really worried as he beckons on the medical team to help him. He's holding his knee.
Teammates are also suggesting that it's a nasty one and the Austrian is helped off the field. I'll try and get an update on that.
The noise in here has gone up a notch or two following that goal. 'Hey Jude', as is now customary, rang out around the stadium.
Marcelino has been forced into an early change with Alex Baena having to leave the pitch with a knock. Ramon Terrats steps in.
Bellingham opens the scoring
Jude's there with a powerful header.
What a delicious assist from Modric, picking Bellingham out between three defenders, but the power and accuracy in the header required to beat Jorgensen was all the Englishman's doing.
Madrid switching play from left to right, fullbacks pushing on to provide the necessary width. Nothing is opening up then Modric gathers on the edge of the area and tries his luck, clipping the top of the crossbar as Jorgensen throws himself towards it.
A couple of inches lower and that was in, but, yes, if my auntie had... I know.
Gerard Moreno is down at the moment and the grimace on his face suggests it's rather a painful knock. The challenge appeared innocuous.
The forward is back on his feet but moving gingerly. Let's see if he can continue.
Straight back up the other end and Ilias pulls the trigger from distance. It finds its way through several sets of legs but Lunin is happy to watch it go wide of his upright.
Following an exchange of possession in the middle of the park, Madrid push the attack button and Brahin finds himself with a single marker on the right side of goal. A drop of the shoulder, short backlift and powerful striker follows, but Jorgensen parries comfortably enough at his near post.
It's been all Madrid in this brief opening period but the visitors have just shown their threat, a breakaway leading to three attempts at goal, the best falling to Akhomach.
Decent reminder to the hosts that they won't have it all their way.
Jude again. This time the midfielder is all alone in the Villarreal box as a terrible attempt at a header back to Jorgensen lands with him. He probably couldn't have imagined that he didn't have a huge Danish keeper bearing down on him so tried to power a header from seven yards. It didn't work.
We've just had our first glimpse of Bellingham's class as he glides past his covering defender with the most simple of feints. His cross is just too long but that looked too easy.
Modric is incensed (well, in a mild, Modricy type way) as the ref calls hand ball against him in the middle of the park. The call was right but I can see why the Croatian was frustrated as the knock-on had a negligible effect on his play.
Madrid didn't take long to get the ball back and get most of the XI to have a very early touch. Kroos ends the first period of possession by pinging it out wide to Lucas but the cross is well defended and cleared.
Kick-off
And the whistle goes for the start of the game. Villarreal get us going, shooting from right to left as I look on.
Before we get the ball rolling, there is a minute of rememberance for former Madrid player Jose Luna. Perfectly observed.
The players are out on the pitch and there's a lot of love being shown, hugs between players, and a big embrace between the two experienced managers. Maybe it's the festive spirit kicking in...
Kick-off is getting close
The stadium is almost full as we hit the five-minute mark ahead of the action. Warm ups have been completed without any injuries, as far as I can see, and the final words of advice will be getting given in the changing rooms.
Bellingham targets contributions
One more note about the English superstar, for now at least. As per the attached post from ESPN, Bellingham has fallen behind Victor Boniface (how good would it be if he joined a Scottish team) in the race to be Europe's top goal contributor this season.
He can certainly do something about that in the next couple of hours, and who'd be brave enough to bet against it?
Hey Jude, blow me a kiss
No doubt you'll have seen multiple angles of Bellingham's goal against Betis. It was a lovely calm piece of finishing. But did you see what he did as he ran away to celebrate?
Spotting a lone Madridista in a sea of green he blew out a kiss and pointed right at them. Stay classy, Jude.
Bellingham brilliance
In his first 14 games for Madrid, the English youngster, has already scored 12. Incredible return had he been a striker, but he's not.
Despite the fanfare and multiple glowing headlines that news outlets (yes, including this one!) continue to churn out over the player, I found it interesting speaking with some seasoned club members recently. Although they are delighted with his early form, the are cautious, believing that Jude is likely to go through some less spectacular spells, and fans need to remain patient as he grows at the club. Wise words.
Last time out: Madrid draw, Villarreal lose
It was a disappointing showing in both these sides' last outing in LaLiga.
Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw by Real Betis which allowed Girona to take advantage. Villarreal were soundly beaten 3-0 by Real Sociedad and have much improving to do.
Marcelino marches in Madrid
Well, he sort of steps around the pitch casually, although note how he stamps the surface purposefully. Small margins.
Progress continues to made on the cutting-edge video screen that’s currently being installed at Real Madrid’s Bernabéu stadium. Here's a quick look at what those inside can see.
Who's in goal for Madrid?
The answer to that question is Lunin.
Yes, the Real Madrid gaffer has plumped for the Ukrainian with Chelsea loanee Kepa on the bench. Here's a piece we did about Lunin's wife who said “If there is a club where he plays, we will leave Madrid”
Ancelotti's Villarreal challenge
Carlo Ancelotti's record with Real Madrid in LaLiga when facing Villarreal shows a winning percentage of only 25%, with two wins, four draws, and two losses in eight matches.
This is his second-lowest success rate against any team in the league, slightly better than his 22% win rate against Atlético Madrid, where he has two wins, two draws, and five losses in 9 games.
Thanks OptaJose!
Villarreal XI
Marcelino's starters:
Jorgensen; Altimira, Albiol, Mandi, Pedraza; Capoue, Parejo, Baena; Ilias, Morales, Gerard Moreno.
Real Madrid XI
Ancelotti's starters:
Lunin; Lucas, Rüdiger, Alaba, Mendy; Kroos, Modric, Valverde, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Brahim.
Bernabéu ready
How much have we all dreamed about stepping out to play in a competitive match here at the Santiago Bernabéu? If only we hadn't chosen a different path, right?
With around an hour till kick-off, the streets and bars around here are filling up nicely, and that will soon filter into the stands.
"We have the weapons to cause Real Madrid problems, but..."
Thanks for the quick reply Señor Marcelino. Here's more of what he had to say.
“There are injuries. There are many in some specific positions, but that’s no excuse. We have to compete. We have to give everything in the two remaining games. The setting and the opponent make this match one of the most attractive of the season. We have optimism, ambition to try to win. They have 19 points out of a possible 21 and have only conceded three goals. We have the weapons to hurt them. Now we just need the right approach to do it.”
“We’ll try not to concede. If we manage to do that, we’ll win a point. But we can’t just think about defending. Football involves dominating all phases of the game. Balance gives you the chance to win games with continuity.”
How they stand: Villarreal
Just three points off the relegation places will be a massive concern for the Yellow Submarine and so taking something from this game, despite it being one of the toughest fixtures in the schedule, would be a much-needed confidence boost.
Do they have the weapons to cause Madrid problems though? If only someone could answer that in the next post...
| T | MP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 19 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 |
| 13 | 16 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 14 | 16 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 15 | 15 | 17 | 2 | 9 | 6 |
| 16 | 13 | 16 | 2 | 7 | 7 |
How they stand: Real Madrid
As you can see - and i may have mentioned it in my intro - Los Blancos need a win to keep the pressure on Girona at the top of LaLiga, and will take first place for at least 24ish hours.
They'll also want to keep a sizeable gap between them and those chasing behind.
| T | MP | W | D | L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 41 | 16 | 13 | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | 39 | 16 | 12 | 3 | 1 |
| 3 | 35 | 17 | 10 | 5 | 2 |
| 4 | 34 | 16 | 11 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | 32 | 17 | 9 | 5 | 3 |
Earlier today we had a look at the team news and injuries coming into it. As our Will explained, the good news for Carlo Ancelotti as Christmas looms is a recovery room gradually being cleared as more and more fit players return to the squad ahead of a busy spell for Madrid.
Aurélien Tchouameni was back in a pre-game squad list for the first time in over a month and a half after injuring his left foot in El Clásico against Barça. Los Blancos do still have plenty of absentees however with the likes of Carvajal, Camavinga, Vinicius, Arda Güler, Courtois or Militao still missing.
Confirmed line-ups coming soon...
Lego-time for Villarreal
A slightly different approach but I rather like it, especially the focused little faces on them, and some questionable beard action.
How much 'blocking' will the away defence be involved in tonight?
Madrid go graphic style
I always like to dip into the minds of the social media teams ahead of big games and you can see the folks managing the white account have got some snazzy graphics overlay going on.
Let's pop over to Villarreal next and see what they've done...
Did you know that there are also television streams of this game doing the rounds? Crazy, right? Despite my words bringing the game to life you can also have colourful pixels jumping around on another screen.
To help you find your most appropriate provider, our Andy has put together this handy guide. He's kind like that!
Hello and a very warm welcome to you. My name's Calum and I'm here to take you through all the action (well, all the action that matters, at least) from the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu as Real Madrid host Villarreal in LaLiga EA Sports.
Los Blancos come into this game second in the Spanish league, but can jump ahead of surprise package Girona at the summit, with them playing on Monday against Alavés.