The goal for Real Madrid in their La Liga finale against Villarreal is simple, avoid injuries at all costs. There is literally nothing to play for in the final week of La Liga other than final placement in the table. All four Champions League spots both Europa League slots, and the three teams being relegated have already been decided. Only Real Madrid has something meaningful left this season with their pivotal Champions League Final against Liverpool taking place a week from Saturday.
Don't miss the Spanish La Liga action from El Madrigal in Villarreal, Spain at 2:45 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 19, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on beIN Sports.
La Liga Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Real Madrid +151
Villarreal +145
Draw +300
Over/Under 4
Odds Analysis
Real Madrid crushed Celta Vigo 6-0 last weekend, putting the pressure on the mid table club early and often. Gareth Bale shined for Madrid in the victory, netting goals in the 13th and 30th minutes to start the scoring. The brace was followed by goals from Isco, Achraf Hakimi, Toni Kroos, and an own goal from Sergi Gomez. It was a great performance in their penultimate La Liga game this season.
Villarreal have had a successful season even though they will not end up playing in the Champions League next season. Villarreal and Real Betis are both locked into the Europa League with each club holding off Sevilla for the two Spanish spots. This club ended their season with a bang. They won four of their final five games and survived a late scare to beat Deportivo La Coruna 4-2 last week. Samu Castillejo notched a brace for the visitors in the win.
Last Meeting
These clubs met in the middle of January, with Villarreal pulling out a surprising victory in the Bernabeu. Real Madrid did not dominate possession, but they did bombard Sergio Asenjo with a number of shots. They ended up firing 28 shots in the match, yet only seven of those attempts ended up on goal. That was a common story for Real through the first half of the La Liga season. A number of great chances were left wanting and they were punished for it in the end.
Late in the game with the score still locked at nil, Villarreal broke out on the counterattack. They could have been ruled offsides, but the referee kept his flag down and Pablo Fornals was able to float in a ball over Keylor Navas after he had initially blocked it. It led to Villarreal pulling out a 1-0 win.
Player to Watch
It will be interesting to see if Cristiano Ronaldo will play in this match. Ronaldo has not taken the field since El Clasico due to an ankle injury, yet he is fully training with the club once more.
Manager Zinedine Zidane might not want to risk him the week before Liverpool, especially coming off of an injury. Ronaldo is far too important to Real Madrid’s chances and there is no reason to give him a full run of action in a relatively meaningless game like this. Zidane may want to let him run around on the pitch for a bit, but it’s unlikely he goes the full 90.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
Normally, Real Madrid would be an odds-on favorite here. However, it seems very likely that Zidane will not play all of his starters even though he will have everyone available for action. The question then becomes who will play and who will sit. Later in the week we will probably find out more on this front, but I don’t expect many of the starters to play. Those that do will likely not fully commit given the stakes, so back Villarreal to win this one.
Spanish La Liga Odds: Villarreal 2, Real Madrid 1
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