AVANT-MATCH. 01/07/2023. Alberto Navarro
Real Madrid are playing matchday 16 away with first place at stake (4:15 p.m.).
The calendar leaves no respite. After qualifying for the knockout stages of the Copa del Rey on Tuesday, Real Madrid are going to the Ceramics stadium this followingnoon to face Villarreal on behalf of the 16th day of La Liga (4:15 p.m.). Ancelotti’s men continue to battle for the top spot with Barcelona. Our team is tied on points once morest the Blaugranaswho travel to Atlético tomorrow.
It will be the second game in a year that started with a demanding January. The Madridistas can play up to eight matches in three different competitions. The next appointment will be the Spanish Super Cup, which will be held next week in Saudi Arabia.
“To beat Villarreal, you will have to be on top and I find the team focused and motivated,” Ancelotti said in press conference pre-game. The Italian coach called these players to try to clinch a thirteenth victory in La Liga. To achieve this objective, our team will want to surf on its offensive series which has allowed it to find the net in the 23 official games played this season.
The adversary’s forces
Opposite will be Villarreal, who this week also validated their presence for the knockout stages of the Cup following crushing Cartagena (1-5). In La Liga, they start the day in seventh place, with a record of 7 wins, 3 draws and 5 losses. Álex Baena, with 4 goals, is his top scorer in the league.