Real Madrid beat Real Valladolid in the league to win their first matchback following the World Cup break.
With a 1-0 victory over Cacereno, they were also able to advance to the Copa del Rey second round.
Real Madrid has drawn each of their previous five away games against Villarreal, so Los Blancos will be wary of their threat
Real Madrid has won all six of their LaLiga road games against Villarreal, but they have also drew all five of those games (W1 D5), matching their longest streak of back-to-back draws against a single opponent in the competition (also five against Real Sociedad between 1973 and 1977).
Villarreal have not lost their first LaLiga game of a year in any of their last 13 years (W7 D6), winning the last three, and last losing 0-1 to Real Madrid in 2009.