Follow live as Real Madrid face Villarreal in La Liga
Unbeaten Real currently second in table, three points behind leaders Barcelona
Villarreal are third after successive wins
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Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Villarreal's subs are warming up and they include Eric Bailly.
The Ivory Coast international used to strike fear in Manchester United fans for his unorthodox and a times, kamikaze style of defending.
Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Vinicius Jr is fuming. And rightly so. Villarreal's right-back Kiko Femenia blocks him off with his arm as he plays a give and go.
Absolutely zero attempt to play the ball by a man that has been booked already. That would not have looked out of place in the 1980s or 1990s.
Image source, Getty ImagesReal Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Side netting. So close from Alex Baena as the Villarreal midfielder whips a free-kick round the Real Madrid wall and has home keeper Andriy Lunin scrambling.
Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
The TV cameras pick up Germany and Real great Toni Kroos, who is sat in the stands after retiring in the summer.
Kroos, who helped the club win the Champions League five times during his decade as a player in Spain, gives a wave and is promptly serenaded by the home fans.
Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Is this a penalty? Thierno Barry escapes from Aurelien Tchouameni and is pulled down by the Real Madrid man in his own penalty area...
The offside flag comes to Real's rescue but it's close.
Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham charges into the Villarreal box and runs straight into visiting left-back Sergi Cardona, appealing vainly for a foul.
Absolutely no chance that was a penalty.
Image source, Getty ImagesReal Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Nicolas Pepe goes down clutching his leg after a challenge from Real left-back Ferland Mendy.
Nothing doing for the Villarreal man though there and the hosts are on the break.
Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Away we go again.
HT: Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Real Madrid have stopped the opposition from scoring a first-half goal in eight of their nine games, more than any other in the Primera Division this season.
Image source, Getty ImagesHT: Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Real Madrid are unbeaten in their last 83 Primera Division matches when leading at half-time (W76, D7) dating back to 17 February 2019 against Girona (L1-2).
HT: Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Real Madrid have avoided defeat in their previous 40 La Liga matches (W29 D11), the second best unbeaten streak by a team in the entire history of the competition.
The only side to better that was Barcelona in 2018 (Played 43 W34 D9).
Real will surely fancy their chances of eclipsing that. Their last loss in the Spanish top flight was over 12 months ago when they were beaten 3-1 by Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano.
Image source, Getty ImagesReal Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Nowt doing from the corner and Real get to the break in front.
Good game this.
Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Villarreal have had plenty of joy down the left and almost carve out another chance on the stroke of half-time as Pape Gueye zips a ball in which is cleared for a corner.
Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Luka Modric misplaces a pass trying to thread a ball through the visiting defence. It's only the second time he's given the ball away this half.
Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Almost a second for Real Madrid as Kylian Mbappe latches on to Vinicius Jr's pass down the left.
He accelerates into the Villarreal box but visiting keeper Diego Conde does superbly well to stick out a leg and prevent both the Real forward and ball from skipping past him.
Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Every time Kylian Mbappe picks up the ball the decibel levels rise considerably in the Bernabeu.
Real's French superstar sees his shot blocked and Jude Bellingham lashes a 25-yard effort just wide while following up.
Image source, Getty ImagesReal Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Luka Modric, who is 39, (see my earlier post) is charging down the wing for Real Madrid here and gets hauled down by Alex Baena to earn his side a free-kick.
Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Having just been skinned by Vinicius Jr, Kiko Femenía takes a more agricultural approach to dealing with Real's Brazilian star, taking him out and earning a yellow card in the process.
Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Vinícius Jr dances down the left but flashes a cross/shot across the face of the Villarreal goal.
Real Madrid 1-0 Villarreal
Luka Modric is pulling the strings for Real Madrid now as the host get hold of the ball.
How old is the Croatian again? Remarkable.
Image source, Getty Images
Vinicius Junior, who scored Real's second on Saturday, has injured his neck and is being "monitored" by the club
Dani Carvajal has confirmed he will need surgery after suffering a "serious" cruciate ligament injury in Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Villarreal at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
The Spain right-back was left screaming in agony after seemingly over-extending his knee in a collision with Yeremy Pino in added time, and was carried off the pitch on a stretcher in tears.
"Serious cruciate ligament injury confirmed, I'm going to have to go through surgery and be off the field for a few months," Carvajal, 32, later wrote on Instagram.
"Already looking forward to starting recovery and coming back like a beast."
Speaking immediately after the win which continued Real's unbeaten start to the La Liga season, manager Carlo Ancelotti said his players were "sad" and "worried" for Carvajal.
He added: "Something happened that happens a lot, because of the calendar, and it happened to a very, very important player for us."
A Real Madrid statement, external on Sunday said that Carvajal had "a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, a ruptured external collateral ligament and a ruptured popliteus tendon in his right leg" and would have an operation in "the coming days".
The Spanish club later announced that Carvajal, who has won the Champions League six times and La Liga four times with the club, has extended his contract with them until 30 June, 2026.
"Real Madrid would like to show him all its support and affection and wishes him a speedy recovery so that we can enjoy his football on the pitch again as soon as possible," said the Bernabeu outfit.
Meanwhile, the La Liga side said that Brazil forward Vinicius Junior had suffered a neck injury and his "progress will be monitored".
Real's victory came after a shock defeat by Lille in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Federico Valverde gave Real the lead in the 14th minute on Saturday when his shot from the edge of the box found the bottom left corner after deflecting off the unfortunate Alex Baena.
Moments later, Villarreal almost equalised when Nicolas Pepe's header clipped the crossbar from Baena's cross, before Thierno Barry headed over the bar.
Vinicius Junior made sure of the victory with 17 minutes left to play, launching a fierce effort from long range into the top corner.
Real had further chances to increase their lead but Antonio Rudiger sent a header over the bar and England international Jude Bellingham's long-range effort sailed wide of the post.
Villarreal thought they had a penalty five minutes after the break when Aurelien Tchouameni fouled Barry, but the French forward was adjudged to be offside.
Baena's 25-yard free-kick grazed the side-netting as the away side continued to probe but ultimately failed to find a way back into the game.
Ancelotti's side are now undefeated in 41 La Liga matches (W30 D11), the second best unbeaten streak by a team in the entire history of the competition.
Rivals Barcelona are the only side to better that, with a 43-game unbeaten league run (W34 D9) in 2018.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 9 | 16 | 21 |
| |
| 2 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 21 |
| |
| 3 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| |
| 4 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 16 |
| |
| 5 | Osasuna | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 14 | -1 | 15 |
|
| 6 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 14 |
| |
| 7 | Mallorca | 9 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 14 |
|
| 8 | Rayo Vallecano | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 13 |
|
| 9 | Celta Vigo | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 13 |
|
| 10 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 12 |
| |
| 11 | Deportivo Alavés | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 12 | -1 | 10 |
|
| 12 | Espanyol | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 13 | -4 | 10 |
|
| 13 | Girona | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 11 | -2 | 9 |
|
| 14 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 9 |
| |
| 15 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 8 |
| |
| 16 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 8 |
| |
| 17 | Leganés | 9 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 8 |
|
| 18 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 13 | -8 | 6 |
| |
| 19 | Real Valladolid | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 19 | -14 | 5 |
|
| 20 | Las Palmas | 9 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 17 | -8 | 3 |
|
Manager: Carlo Ancelotti
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
Manager: Marcelino García
Formation: 4 - 3 - 3
Manager: Carlo Ancelotti
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
Manager: Marcelino García
Formation: 4 - 3 - 3
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