Real Madrid vs Villarreal, for the Spanish League: preview and line-ups, live

05/22/2021 11:17 AM

• Clarín.com

• sports

Updated 05/22/2021 11:17 AM

Still hoping to win the Spanish League title, Real Madrid will host Villarreal this Saturday from 1:00 p.m. in a match corresponding to the last date of the tournament (ESPN will broadcast).

To do this, the team led by Zinedine Zidane must win their match at the Alfredo Di Stéfano stadium and hope that the leader Atlético de Madrid, at the same time, does not triumph in his visit to Valladolid (DirecTV Sports will broadcast).

The possibility of reaching the last day of the tournament with chances of fighting for its 35th title in the League seemed an impossible mission a couple of months ago for Madrid, which went through a very complicated season due to injuries (it registered 60 in its squad during this campaign) and coronavirus cases.

The last infected was Toni Kroos, who will miss the duel this Saturday.

However, and beyond the frustration over the elimination in the semifinals of the Champions League at the hands of Chelsea,

Merengue

chained a streak of 17 games without defeats in the League that left him waiting for a last wink from Valladolid that allow you to close the season with a consecration.

“My players have always given everything.

From the beginning to the end, with the injured, with the covid.

We have had difficulties, but we are excited to get the League and we are going to give everything, "said Zidane at the press conference on Friday, in which he avoided giving definitions about his future.

👔🎙️ Zidane: "We are going to give everything on the field." # RealMadridVillarreal pic.twitter.com/uCuSMC6kkJ

- Real Madrid CF (@realmadrid) May 21, 2021

“The most important thing is not me or someone else, but the team, tomorrow's game and what we want to achieve, which is what encourages us.

All our energy is put into tomorrow's game because after 37 days we are not going to waste time talking about what will happen next season, "said the DT.

For this game, the coach will not only suffer the absence of Kroos, but also the injured Eden Hazard, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy and Lucas Vázquez.

Instead, Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane recovered, although it is not certain that they are starters.

Who will be from the start will be the Brazilian Marcelo, who will surely play his last match with the white jacket.

Villarreal will also face this meeting with the need to add and wait, although also with part of his attention focused on the final of the Europa League that he will have to face on Wednesday against Manchester United in Gdańsk.

The

Yellow Submarine

, which has 58 points in the tournament, will play the chance to access the next edition of the Europa League (although if it defeats Manchester United it will qualify for the next edition of the Champions League).

For this he needs to improve on this date what Betis (58) or Real Sociedad (59) do, so he must win or draw in Madrid.

Ramiro Funes Mori will start in Villarreal's defense.

(Photo: Pablo Morano / Reuters)

An equality would serve the people of Castellón if Betis loses in Vigo against Celta, while if the Andalusians draw they would need to win.

With regard to Real Sociedad, they need the Basque team not to win their match with Osasuna and add a victory against Real Madrid.

If he doesn't achieve the goal, at least he is already guaranteed his place in the new UEFA Conference League.

For this match, Unai Emery will surely reserve some footballers thinking about Wednesday's final in Poland.

The coach will not be able to count on Juan Foyth, injured, like Vicente Iborra and Nigerian Samuel Chukwueze.

Instead, Gerónimo Rulli and Ramiro Funes Mori will start.

Probable formations

Real Madrid:

Thibaut Courtois;

Álvaro Odriozola, Éder Militao, Raphael Varane or Sergio Ramos, Nacho, Marcelo;

Casemiro, Federico Valverde, Luka Modric;

Vinicius and Karim Benzema.

DT:

Zinedine Zidane.

Villarreal:

Gerónimo Rulli, Mario, Ramiro Funes Mori, Pau Torres, Alberto Moreno;

Étienne Capoue, Francis Coquelin, Dani Parejo;

Yéremi Pino, Moi Gómez and Paco Alcácer.

DT:

Unai Emery.

Stadium:

Alfredo Di Stéfano (Madrid).

Referee:

José Luis Munuera Montero.

Start time:

13.

Broadcast:

ESPN.

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