Valverde never refused to play out of position, says Alonso

Xabi Alonso has denied suggestions Federico Valverde refused to play out of position for Real Madrid, as they look to get back to winning ways in LaLiga against Villarreal on Saturday.

Madrid's winning start to the campaign was halted by a 5-2 derby demolition by Atletico Madrid last week, allowing Barcelona to leapfrog them at the top of LaLiga.

Los Blancos then responded with a 5-0 Champions League win over Kairat in Kazakhstan, though Valverde was left out one day after he told reporters that he "wasn't born to play right-back".

That led to murmurs of a rift between the Uruguayan and his coach, who has also had to play down claims he does not see eye-to-eye with Vinicius Junior already this season.

But Alonso does not have any misgivings over any of his players' attitudes. 

"Nobody has ever told me that they don't want to play in a position. Everyone wants to play, no one has told me that," Alonso told reporters on Friday.

"Everyone is very well-disposed, and from there, I will be the one to decide. Let that be clear.

"I get the feeling that the team is the most important thing. When someone wants to play and doesn't, it's normal to be frustrated; it's natural. It isn't anything new. We have to live with it. It will happen again. We're calm."

Alonso was also asked whether he believed creative midfielders Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler could play together, with the England man only making his first start of the season against Atleti last week after recovering from a shoulder injury.

He said: "They can be complementary, we have to see how we place the others around them. In the number 10 position, Jude is very important to me. 

"Guler has played further back, and he can do that. They must flow, they must be comfortable. I've seen them play together. They can do it, and they will, for sure."

Villarreal are only two points behind Madrid in third following three straight wins in LaLiga, while they also salvaged a 2-2 Champions League draw with Juventus on Wednesday.

Head coach Marcelino believes they have the quality to trouble their hosts, saying: "If they don't start well, and we do, we are able to make them uncomfortable, insecurity can arise. 

"But as they have so many resources, we are aware that at any time of the game, they can turn the situation around, and we must avoid that. We must go with that belief that we can create problems for them."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Real Madrid – Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe has scored eight goals in his first seven games in LaLiga in 2025-26, marking his third-best start to a league campaign.

He scored nine times in his first seven Ligue 1 matches in 2020-21 and 10 in 2018-19, both with Paris Saint-Germain.

Villarreal – Luiz Junior 

Of all goalkeepers who have played at least five matches in LaLiga this season, only Osasuna's Sergio Herrera (79.4%) has a higher save percentage than Villarreal's Luiz Junior (77.8%, level with Barcelona's Joan Garcia).

MATCH PREDICTION – REAL MADRID WIN

Villarreal coach Marcelino has lost 16 LaLiga matches against Real Madrid (P23 W3 D4), more than he has against any other opponent in the competition.

And the Yellow Submarine have also lost 17 of their 25 away matches against Madrid in LaLiga overall (W2 D6), their most away defeats against any club in the top-flight.

Villarreal have made a flying start to this season, collecting 16 points from their first seven games in LaLiga (W5 D1 L1) to equal their second-highest tally at this stage of a campaign in the competition (also 16 in 2010-11 and 2015-16), only earning more in 2008-09 (17).

But Madrid go into this match as favourites as they look to avoid successive LaLiga defeats for the first time since May 2019, when Zinedine Zidane oversaw two straight losses.

Los Blancos have scored at least two goals in each of their last six LaLiga matches, and they could now record their best such run in the competition since September 2018 (eight matches). Their firepower may just prove too much for Villarreal.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Real Madrid – 62.8%

Villarreal – 18.1%

Draw – 19%