Overview

• Kickoff is scheduled for 21:00 at the Santiago Bernabéu with DAZN carrying the match in Spain.
• Villarreal arrive two points behind and could finish the night top with a win after three straight league victories and a draw with Juventus.
• Real Madrid lack injured right-backs Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander‑Arnold, with Marco Asensio reported as the most likely stand‑in and lineups listed as probable rather than confirmed.
• Federico Valverde has said he was not born to be a right back and was reported to have skipped the substitutes’ rondo and shown a passive warm‑up in Almaty following the long midweek trip to Kazakhstan.
• Xabi Alonso insisted no player has told him they refuse a position and emphasized that he wants everyone to participate, while Kylian Mbappé enters in prolific form with eight LaLiga goals and five in the Champions League.