Real Madrid don release squad list for dem match against Villarreal for La Liga eighth matchday. The game go hold for Bernabéu on Saturday, 9:00 pm CEST. Orange TV and Movistar LaLiga go show am. Goalkeepers na Courtois, Lunin and Sergio Mestre. Defenders na Trent, Konaté, Cucurella, Á. Carreras, Rüdiger and Dumfries. Midfielders na Bellingham, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni, Arda Güler, Bernardo and Thiago. Forwards na Vini Jr., Endrick, Mbappé, C. Espí, Brahim and Yan Diomande.
Villarreal, under Iñigo Pérez, don play seven league matches this season. Dem get two wins, two draws and three defeats. Dem score 13 goals, concede 12. Three of the goals na penalties, one na own goal. Villarreal create 13.9 non-penalty expected goals, 1.98 per match, third most in La Liga. Dem score nine non-penalty goals, 4.9 fewer than chances worth. Best run come for sixth and seventh league match, when dem average 3.14 npxG per match. Among players, Ayoze Pérez get most npxG (3.6, one goal), ahead of Georges Mikautadze (2.8, one goal) and Alberto Moleiro (1.6, two goals). Dem concede 8.5 npxG, 1.22 per match, ninth fewest in La Liga. Dem let in 11 non-penalty goals, 2.5 more than chances worth. Best defensive run come third and fourth league match, when dem concede 0.65 npxG per match. Their defensive actions come on average 36.9 meters from own goal line, fourth highest in La Liga. Their centre-backs receive ball on average 40.2 meters from own goal line, sixth highest. Villarreal get field tilt of 67.0%, second highest in La Liga. Dem get bigger share in six of seven matches. Over season dem control 14 of 24 zones, opponents control three. Their PPDA na 9.8, second lowest in La Liga; league overall record 12.1. Lower PPDA mean more intense press. Dem complete 511 open-play passes per match, second highest. Of passes received, 29.0% arrive final third, second highest. Most-used formation na 4-4-2, and two players who pass to each other most na Pape Gueye and Renato Veiga, with 84 passes between them. Villarreal completed passes add 13.7 expected threat over season, 1.96 per match, most in La Liga. Pape Gueye add most (1.47), ahead of Renato Veiga (1.33) and Alberto Moleiro (1.18). Dem take 109 non-penalty shots, 15.6 per match. Average shot come from 16.8 meters, third shortest in La Liga. Dem also score three penalties. Across 696 minutes including stoppage time, Villarreal win for 141 minutes (20.3%), level for 364 (52.3%), losing for 191 (27.4%). Time spent winning na 14th most in La Liga.
Jose Mourinho, the Real Madrid coach, talk about injured players Eder Militao and Federico Valverde before the Villarreal clash. Dem ask am for pre-match press conference whether Militao and Valverde fit available. Mourinho reply say Valverde na doubt, while Militao no be doubt and will not be available. He talk say considering the way he train, dem never train with five players, always with 20 players, and dem don train with academy youngsters, where sometimes Castilla team come, other times third team, and other times youth team mixed with players from Castilla and third team. For Brazilian defender and rest of injured players, Mourinho add say if person no know problems Militao dey suffer, he would play am tomorrow, and he joke with am say, you go play? He better than I think, and he no go available tomorrow, nor in Roma match, nor against Sevilla, because he need two weeks, as his medical record heavy well well and caution must dey. Mendy go also train on pitch for first time with us, while Rodrygo still far away. As for Valverde, problem don continue until today, and today dem go decide about him participation tomorrow.
Mourinho also touch merit and picking most ready players at Real Madrid. He say merit yes, but openness dey too, not for sake of name but for sake of moment and current situation, and knowing wetin fit be best way to help particular player. He talk say some players, when dem no dey good state, strategies dey to improve their level, and one of them na pure merit, and if you no dey good state you out of reckoning, and this matter carry risks, because some players take time to return to natural level. He continue defence of Brazilian forward: You mean Vinicius. I no hide, and thing wey pain me and make me sad na to realise say he want dey good state and want be player wey settle matches and make difference, and wetin pain me na to feel this pain wey he feel. He be player wey surprise me by being exceptional person and works very hard to return, so he go always play until he return, or moment go come when we put specific plan whereby he no play or go bench and we find another way?
Finally, Mourinho address fans and media pressure on player. He say I no interfere in affairs of Real Madrid real supporters, I only respect dem. But e pain me greatly when I see player like this, wey no currently dey deliver exceptional level we don dey used to from Vinicius, and I feel sad because some fans, influenced by wetin many of una talk, no dey help am. He deserve support, and he strongly want return to Vinicius wey give Real Madrid fans so many happy moments.
