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Villarreal vs Real Madrid: Match Preview and Team News

Kick-off at 2000 CET (1700 UTC)

Estadio de la Ceramica, Villarreal, Spain

Real Madrid will be looking to extend their lead at the top of the LaLiga table when they travel to Villarreal on Friday night.

Carlo Ancelotti's side are three points clear of Barcelona with just seven games remaining, and a win at the Estadio de la Ceramica would put them in a strong position to win their first title since 2017.

Villarreal, meanwhile, are sixth in the table and still in contention for a place in next season's Europa League.

Unai Emery's side have won their last two games in all competitions, and they will be confident of causing Real Madrid problems on Friday night.

Team News

Real Madrid will be without Karim Benzema, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury.

Eden Hazard is also a doubt for the game, as he is nursing a knock.

Villarreal have no major injury concerns.

What the Managers Say

Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid): "We're in a good position, but we can't afford to slip up now."

Unai Emery (Villarreal): "We're going to give Real Madrid a game. We're confident that we can beat them."

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