Real Madrid made it three wins in a row as they scored twice in the second half with Kylian Mbappé poaching in the box and then winning and converting a penalty to beat third-placed Villarreal 2-0 in La Liga action on Saturday night.
1. Would Tuesday night prove to be a turning point?
The confidence boost of a 6-1 victory over Monaco in the Champions League was set to be put to the test with a difficult challenge with a visit to take on Villarreal. “Hopefully it’s the turning point we need,” Álvaro Arbeloa said when asked this very question ahead of this match, adding that, “Kylian said it, it was our moment to step up and show what we want to do, it’s important and the players did it, with effort and humility, so hopefully it will continue like this”. This win was very much one along the same lines, of effort and humility, even if the end scoreline wasn’t quite as glamorous. The first 45 minutes was a battle of attrition, maintaining the record of being the only team in Europe’s top five leagues yet to concede a shot on target in the first half of a league game in 2026. This was the opposite of the Monaco win in many ways, being denied spaces to exploit and with Villarreal well-disciplined, but Real Madrid ground out the win regardless through determination, consistency across the field, and work rate which seemed a night and day change from only a few weeks ago. Ignoring any tactical debates, Álvaro Arbeloa has got this team playing like a team again.
2. Could Villarreal’s strong home record prove problematic?
Villarreal’s form at the Estadio de la Cerámica this season was one to get Real Madrid fans feeling nervous ahead of this tie. In La Liga, their only defeat in nine home games came against Barcelona, and only the Clásico duo had conceded fewer goals on home turf. On top of that, Real Madrid’s win last March in Villa-Real was their first in seven visits dating back eight years to 2017. You would have to go back to 2009 and 2011 to find the last time Real Madrid won two consecutive visits to this stadium, at a time when Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcelo, Gonzalo Higuaín and Rafael van der Vaart were on the scoresheets. But neither any other La Liga side, nor any Real Madrid side for many of those years, counted on Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman became the first Real Madrid player to score two or more goals in two away league games against Villarreal this century, taking his tally to 21 league goals, seven ahead of second top scorer Vedat Muriqi.
3. Would Brahim Díaz come up against Pape Gueye again?
One of the storylines which went under the radar was the meeting between Senegal international Pape Gueye, who scored the match-winning goal in the Africa Cup of Nations final last Sunday, and Morocco’s Brahim Díaz, who missed a disastrous Panenka penalty late in injury time of the first 90 minutes. With Rodrygo returning from injury, Brahim Díaz’s presence on the bench was most welcome for Álvaro Arbeloa to add depth in the front line. He came on for the final 10 minutes of action, replacing Arda Güler, and had little involvement, with seven passes all being completed but few moments that really caught the attention of those watching. Even so, it could be necessary to rebuild his confidence after that gutting moment in Morocco last Sunday night.
1. Is Vinícius Júnior getting back to his best?
Vinícius Júnior enjoyed one of his best nights in 18 months in the win over Monaco, so he’ll be frustrated that he won’t be able to claim an assist for Kylian Mbappé‘s opening goal even if it all came from work down the left flank by the Brazilian to keep the ball in play, take on Pau Navarro and then cut the ball back. He completed more dribbles than anyone else on the field with three, and won more fouls than anyone else with five, and looked more like the live wire of old. Playing away from the tension of the Bernabéu, he looked to be more confident on the ball once again. This was a sign to be optimistic about the Brazilian and his form.
2. Was Aurélien Tchouameni missed?
Given that Aurélien Tchouameni had started 85% of matches for Real Madrid in La Liga this season, with a 0% win rate in the two games he didn’t play any role in, it was a concern when he was shown a fifth yellow card of the season against Levante. Yet, the reviews of Real Madrid’s performance without the holding midfielder were mixed. In his place, Eduardo Camavinga operated in a more dynamic holding role, and did so up against a Villarreal side which did little to exploit that area with Gerard Moreno and Georges Mikautadze more on the shoulder of the defensive line than dropping into space. Even still, Camavinga improved as the game went on, leading the stats for the number of successful tackles with eight, while recovering possession on six occasions and registering 73 touches. He didn’t shy away from the opportunity, and as a midfield destroyer, he got the job done efficiently.
3. Will there be patience with Franco Mastantuono?
Watching a young Franco Mastantuono on the right flank, it’s easy to forget that he is still only 18 years of age. The Argentine is undeniably raw, and many aspects of his game need improvement, but many of these are questions of growing used to his team-mates in similar ways to a young Vinícius Júnior. His ability to time runs could do with improvements, not helped by the fact that he lacks the Brazilian’s pace. But he shows a great deal of potential, especially given his impressive tactical awareness, work rate and willingness to defend from the front. Unlike others, he was happy to be a terrier chasing down and pressing from the front. That could see him given more opportunities than others may get, and could prove the difference between him and an option like Endrick, just as raw but with just as much potential.
