The Submarine were outclassed by the home team at the Santiago Bernabéu
Villarreal were defeated at the Santiago Bernabéu. The Yellows were unable to beat the reigning LALIGA champions who, with goals from Bellingham, Rodrygo, Brahim and Modric beat the Yellows.
Real Madrid vs Villarreal closed out Sunday’s LALIGA EA SPORTS football. Two teams in different situations, but with the same objective: to get the three points, faced each other on the pitch at the home of Real Madrid. The Submarine were looking to get back on track in their quest for their best form, while Real Madrid wanted to move away from their pursuers at the top of the table and put pressure on Girona, who are at the top of the table.
Real Madrid took control of the ball in the early stages of the game. However, it was Villarreal who had the first clear chance of the game. In the eighth minute of the match, Ilias, one of the new players in Marcelino’s starting line-up, picked up the ball on the wing and, after latching on and beating Mendy in the box, he fired a shot with his left foot that was repelled by a Real Madrid defender. Alfonso Pedraza, in the second piece of play, picked up the ball and put it into the heart of the area where Akhomach again appeared, but was unable to get a shot away.
Real Madrid responded in the 14th minute with a powerful shot from Brahim at Filip Jörgensen’s near post, who cleared the ball for a corner. And ten minutes later, Modric put in a cross from the edge of the area that Bellingham turned home at the far post to make it 1-0.
The misfortune of physical problems hit Villarreal around the half-hour mark. Baena, who minutes earlier had received a heavy blow from Lucas Vázquez, had to leave the field of play. Terrats came on to replace him.
Real Madrid struck again in the 39th minute from a set piece through Rodrygo, who collected a dead ball in the six-yard box and beat Filip Jörgensen to make it 2-0, the score at the end of the first half.
Gerard Moreno, visibly in discomfort at the end of the first 45 minutes, did not come on at the start of the second half. Norwegian Alex Sorloth came on at the Bernabéu to join Morales in the Yellows’ forward line. Jorge Cuenca also came on to replace Raúl Albiol.
Villarreal came out well at the start of the second half. In the 54th minute of the match, Parejo found Terrats between the lines in the final third of the pitch, who with a magnificent assist left Morales alone in front of Lunin, who scored to cut the deficit and make it 2-1.
However, in the 64th minute through Brahim and in the 69th minute through Modric, Real Madrid extended their lead to 4-1, a result with which Villarreal would finally lose by at the Bernabéu.
After the defeat against Real Madrid, Villarreal CF will play again next Wednesday, at 9:a30pm CET, against RC Celta at the Estadio de la Cerámica in the match corresponding to LALIGA matchday 18.
Line-ups:
Real Madrid CF: Lunin; Lucas V., Rüdiger, Alaba (min. 34, Nacho), Mendy (min. 46, Fran García); Modric, Kroos (min. 78, Tchouameni), Valverde; Brahim, Bellingham (min. 78, Ceballos), Rodrigo.
Villarreal CF: Jörgensen; A. Alti, R. Albiol (min. 46, J. Cuenca), Mandi, A. Pedraza; I. Akhomach (min. 74, M. Trigueros), Capoue, Parejo, Álex B. (min. 28, R. Terrats); Gerard (min. 46, Sorloth), A. J. Morales (min. 78, Brereton Díaz).
Gols: 1-0. Min. 26: Bellingham. 2-0. Min. 39: Rodrygo. 2-1. Min. 54: A. J. Morales. 3-1. Min. 64: Brahim. 4-1. Min. 69: Modric.
Referee: Figueroa Vázquez.
Matchday information: Match between Real Madrid and Villarreal CF, corresponding to Matchday 17 of the 2023/24 LALIGA EA Sports season at the Santiago Bernabéu.
