Real Madrid beat Villarreal at home and overtook Girona to regain the top spot in La Liga.
In a key match in the 17th round of La Liga, Real Madrid welcomed the challenge of relegation team Villarreal at the Bernabeu Stadium. It was a crucial battle for Real Madrid's title prospects, as they were overtaken by super-dark side Girona after a draw away from Betis in the previous roundLost the leader position in La Liga.
Villarreal, on the other hand, are Real Madrid's bitter hosts, having dealt them a heavy blow with a 3-2 win away from home last season. This time, will Real Madrid be able to take revenge at home and regain the initiative in La Liga?As soon as the game began, Real Madrid showed a strong attack, and they controlled the tempo of the pitchConstantly attacking Villarreal's goal.
In the 22nd minute, Real Madrid's midfield core Modric received a pass from his teammates on the periphery of the penalty area and shot a long shot, the ball hit the crossbar and popped up, breaking out in a cold sweat. Three minutes later, Real Madrid finally broke the deadlock when Luka Modric delivered a pinpoint cross from the left and Real Madrid's England rising star Jude Bellingham leaped high at the back post to head the ball into the back of the netTook a 1-0 lead for Real Madrid.
It was Bellingham's 13th goal of the season in La Liga, and he continues to lead the La Liga scorers charts with an astonishing display of goalscoring efficiency. Real Madrid's goal hit Villarreal's morale and they were unable to organise an effective counter-attackCan only be defended passively.
In the 38th minute, Real Madrid once again doubled the score with a set-piece, they won a corner on the right, the ball was passed into the box, and after some scuffle, Real Madrid's Rodrygo grabbed the ball in front of goal and stabbed the ball into the goal with his foot to score the second goal for Real Madrid. After the referee confirmed that the goal was validReal Madrid's score was decided 2-0.
It was Rodrygo's sixth goal of the season in La Liga and he is also Real Madrid's second-highest scorer behind Bellingham. At the end of the first half, Real Madrid led 2-0 and dominated the field, with 61% possession, 12 to 2 shots on goal, 5 to 0 shots on target, 6 to 0 corners and 9 to 2 crossesCompletely suppressed Villarreal.
Villarreal, on the other hand, looked powerless as they were sparse in attack and did not pose any threat to Real Madrid's goal, and their backline was beaten back by Real Madrid's quick passes and breaks, and they needed to make changes in the second half to turn things around. The second half restarted with Villarreal coming on to MoralesIt is hoped that the firepower of the offensive will be increased.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, made no adjustments and continued their first-half form, looking for an opportunity to extend the scoreline. In the 55th minute, Villarreal suddenly played a counter-attack, their striker Morales received a pass from a team-mate in the box, he blocked two Real Madrid defenders with his body, and then pushed the ball into the Real Madrid goal to score a goal for VillarrealRewrite the score to 2-1.
It was Villarreal's first shot on target of the game and their first goal and they regained some confidence. However, Villarreal's goal did not make Real Madrid panic and they quickly regained the initiative of the game as they picked up the tempo of the attackTrying to extend the score again.
In the 64th minute, Real Madrid's Dias received a pass from a teammate in midfield, he turned and got rid of the opposing defense, and then rushed to the Villarreal penalty area, where he shook off a defender and then fired a low shot that went through the goalkeeper's legs and into the goal to score the third goal for Real Madrid, making it 3-1. It was Dias' fourth goal in La Liga this season and he is also the third-highest scorer in Real Madrid's squadSecond only to Bellingham and Rodrigo.
Real Madrid's third goal completely broke down Villarreal's defence, and they started to make mistakes, giving Real Madrid more chances. In the 68th minute, Villarreal's defender was cut off by Real Madrid's Modric when passing the ball in the backfield, he dribbled into the penalty area, facing the goalkeeper, he pushed the shot, the ball flew into the goal, and scored the fourth goal for Real MadridRewrite the score to 4-1.
It was Modric's third goal of the season in La Liga and he is also Real Madrid's fourth-highest scorer behind Bellingham, Rodrygo and Dias. At the same time, it was also Modric's second assist of the game, and he was very good in attackIt has made a great contribution to the victory of Real Madrid.
Real Madrid didn't give Villarreal any more chances in the final stages of the game, holding their ground, controlling possession and keeping the score until the end. In the end, Real Madrid defeated Villarreal 4-1 to avenge last season's defeatAt the same time, it also added an advantage to his own championship path.
The victory took Real Madrid's tally to 42 points, and they overtook Girona with 41 points in one more game to regain the top spot in La Liga, while also widening the gap between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona behind them, and adding confidence to their own title race. Villarreal, on the other hand, continue to be mired in relegation, sitting third from bottom with just 14 points, and they need to find their form as soon as possible in the upcoming fixturesin order to avoid the crisis of relegation.
In this game, Real Madrid's attacking performance was excellent, and their four goals were scored by different players, which shows that their attacking firepower is very balanced and no longer depends on one player. Bellingham was the most eye-catching, not only scoring his 13th goal in La Liga this season, but also setting two all-time records, becoming only the second Real Madrid player in La Liga to score 13 goals in his first 15 games, and after Olmedo in 1949Another Real Madrid midfielder who scored 13 goals in his first 15 league games.
Bellingham's goalscoring efficiency is comparable to that of Cristiano Ronaldo, and he has become Real Madrid's top scorer and La Liga's top scorer. His performances have delighted Real Madrid fans, who see Jude Bellingham as a future star for Real Madrid with unlimited potentialHe can lead Real Madrid to glory.
In addition to Bellingham, the rest of Real Madrid's players also had good performances, with Rodrygo, Dias and Luka Modric all scoring goals, and they were the top players in the Real Madrid team.
Second, third and fourth scorers, their goals diversify Real Madrid's attack and make it more difficult for opponents to defend. Modric, in particular, who not only scored but also contributed two assists, was excellent in his playmaking and tandem in midfield, he was the brains of Real MadridHis performance had a direct impact on Real Madrid's attacking and defensive tempo.
Modric's form has also pleased Real Madrid fans, who believe that Modric is the soul of Real Madrid, and his presence has made Real Madrid's midfield more stable and its attack more fluid. Real Madrid also had a good performance in defence, they only conceded one goal, and it was on the counter-attack, their backline basically didn't give Villarreal any chances, and they were very solid defensivelyAlso very positive.
Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois also had a good save, he only faced one shot on target in the game, but he didn't give up, he tried his best to save, and although it didn't work, his performance was still commendable. Courtois's consistency has also reassured Real Madrid fans, who believe that Courtois is the best goalkeeper for Real Madrid, and his presence makes Real Madrid's goal saferIt also made Real Madrid's defense more confident.
Overall, Real Madrid performed perfectly in this game, they played well at both ends of the pitch, they got revenge on Villarreal with a big victory, and also regained the top spot in La Liga, they increased their confidence in their own title race, and also gave a warning to their opponents, they are the supremacy of La Liga, they are the champions of La Liga. Villarreal, on the other hand, need to find their form as soon as possible in the next games to avoid the crisis of relegation, and they need to show more fighting spirit and confidence in the battle for relegation in order to stay on the stage of La Ligain order to regain its former glory.