76′ The hosts have scored 21 goals so far after six La Liga matches, their best ever return after this many games. Can they find another to extend their lead at the top?
74′ Vinicius tries to dink the ball over Rulli from outside the box but gets well underneath the ball and sends it flying over for a goal-kick.
73′ Modric is replaced by Hazard.
72′ Benzema tries to use his chest to bring down a cross from the right but can’t do so and the visitors clear the danger.
70′ Gomez is booked after a foul in midfield on Militao.
69′ The game has just hit a lull in recent minutes. Which side can up the tempo and win this game?
67′ Real Madrid have never lost a La Liga home match against a team managed by Unai Emery, winning nine and drawing one of those ten occasions.
65′ With 25 minutes remaining, which side can find the quality to unlock the opposing defence?
63′ This is Anceolotti’s 800th game as a manager in a top-five European league, having won 475 of those games.
61′ Rulli will have a goal kick as Nacho overruns the ball after trying to make space for a cross.
59′ Militao makes an important interception as the away side threatened to play it through behind his defence.
58′ Alcacer is replaced by Dia.
58′ Coqeulin comes off for Gomez.
57′ The Yellow Submarine go close themselves! A cross from the right is deflected goalwards by Alcacer but it just slices off his foot and evades another yellow shirt at the back post to go behind for a goal-kick.
55′ Coquelin is booked after he cynically drags back Asensio in the middle of the park.
55′ Courtois saves down to his left from Danjuma as the ball came in low to him outside the box.
53′ Real Madrid have started this half much better than they performed in the first and should be in front after those two headed chances went begging.
51′ The hosts go close again! Benzema sends a header wide of the post as the ball came in from the right. A harder chance than Militao’s a minute ago, but one you’d expect a striker of the Frenchman’s quality to score.
50′ The ball in from Asensio is perfect and it looks as if Militao can’t miss, but the centre-back somehow sends the ball past the near post.
50′ Vinicius wins a free-kick as he is brought down by Foyth.
49′ Ancelotti’s men have started this second half on the front foot, but the visitors look to pose a threat on the break.
47′ Danjuma is down injured after he is tackled by Camavinga as he tried to bring the ball away. He is up and the sides are back playing.
46′ Rodrygo comes off for Camavinga at the break.
1′ The hosts get us back underway.
Villarreal have shown that they have a real chance of coming away with all three points and will hope to kick on in the second-half in order to get a win and send themselves into the top half of La Liga. The hosts however will need to improve if they want to extend their lead at the top of the division to five points. They have players of the quality of Isco and Hazard to call off the bench, so when will Ancelotti decide to use them?
Both sides have had their moments in that half but it is the visitors who have gone closest as Danjuma, Alcacer and Coquelin all saw efforts either saved by Courtois or blocked by an opposing defender. Real Madrid had a couple of shouts for a penalty and perhaps should’ve gotten one for a foul on Nacho by Albiol as he sent him tumbling in the area. As it stands though, the game is finely poised for the second half.
45′ HALF-TIME: REAL MADRID 0-0 VILLARREAL
44′ The corner eventually comes to Valverde outside the area, but his curved effort goes well over.
43′ Asensio’s shot from distance deflects off a defender for a corner. Modric’s corner comes in and is cleared before the ball is recycled to him. He puts in another cross and this time it’s nodded behind for another corner.
42′ Casemiro and Rodrygo just can’t quite get on the same wavelength as they link up in the box and it goes out for a goal-kick.
Vinícius Júnior
Yellow Card
40′ Vinicius sees a yellow card for dissent after he is adjudged to have fouled Parejo in the middle of the pitch. The away midfielder did appear to go down softly but the referee saw it differently.
38′ Danjuma feints onto his left-foot in the box past Valverde but his shot goes into the side netting.
37′ The hosts have had eight shots whilst the away side have had two.
35′ Real Madrid think they should have a penalty! Albiol blocks off Nacho as he strides into the box and although the home players surround the referee, nothing is given.
33′ Benzema claims for a penalty as he is bundled over in the area but his protests don’t evoke any action from the referee.
31′ The visitors go close! Pino is played through and lays it back to Alcacer, who sees his left-footed effort saved by Courtois before Coquelin’s half-volley on the rebound is blocked by a Madrid leg.
29′ Villarreal have had 64 per cent of the possession so far, but Danjuma’s curving effort that was tipped past the post by Courtois is the closest they have come to this point.
27′ Vinicius has threatened down the left for the hosts, and has had seven goal involvements in just six games in La Liga this season.
25′ There’s been a noticeably higher press from Real Madrid in recent minutes as they try and force Emery’s men into a mistake at the back.
23′ Rulli scrambles to his left to tip a Rodrygo cross shot wide of the goal and behind for a corner. It looked as if it would just sneak in at the near post but the French keeper gets there just in time.
22′ Vinicius takes on his man and teases the full-back in as he plays it to Benzema in the middle, but the Frenchman’s dipping shot from outside the area goes wide right of Rulli’s goal.
20′ Alcacer sends a speculative shot from distance well over from outside the box. He had plenty of time but got underneath the ball and Los Blancos have a goal-kick.
19′ Rodrygo is caught offside as Asensio plays it into him in the area.
17′ Real Madrid have only lost one of their 21 La Liga home matches against their opponents today, winning 15 and drawing five.
15′ Rodrygo sends a teasing cross over after beating Coquelin down the right and Albiol is forced to head it over his own goal for a home corner. After the ball pings around in the box from the set-piece, the visitors can eventually clear.
13′ Danjuma weaves past two defenders into the box from the left and curves a low shot that Courtois does excellently to tip round the post.
11′ Courtois is forced to come out of his area and intercept a through ball from Moreno to Alcacer.
9′ Capoue has had a lot of the ball so far in the centre of the pitch and has had some key passes just cut out.
7′ Modric sees a shot from distance blocked by the visiting defence.
6′ Militao does excellently to outmuscle Alcacer as the ball is played into the Spanish striker.
4′ Danjuma threatens down the left but his low delivery can’t find a yellow shirt and Militao clears it.
2′ Rulli flies out of his goal to head a long ball through away.
1′ Villarreal kick us off and we are underway.
The two sides make their way onto the Bernabeu pitch.
The visiting manager Unai Emery makes five changes from the team that beat Elche 4-1, with players such as Albiol and Coquelin coming in whilst Rulli replaces Asenjo in goal.
Los Blancos’ manager Carlo Ancelotti elects to make two changes from the side that thumped Mallorca 6-1 last time out, with Casemiro and Modric coming in for Gutierrez and Camavinga.
SUBS: Pervis Estupinan, Mario Gaspar, Manu Trigeuros, Vicente Iborra, Moi Gomez, Aissa Mandi, Alfonso Pedraza, Boulaye Dia, Sergio Asenjo, Ruben Pena.
VILLARREAL (4-4-3): Geronimo Rulli; Juan Foyth, Raul Albiol, Pau Torres, Alberto Moreno; Daniel Parejo, Etienne Capoue, Francis Coquelin; Yeremi Pino, Paco Alcacer, Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld.
SUBS: Toni Fuidias, Antonio Blanco, Eden Hazard, Eduardo Camavinga, Miguel Gutierrez, Luka Jovic, Andriy Lunin, Lucas Vasquez, Mariano, Jesus Vallejo, Isco.
REAL MADRID (4-3-3): Thibaut Courtois; Nacho, David Alaba, Eder Militao, Federico Valverde; Marco Asensio, Casemiro, Luka Modric; Rodrygo, Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior.
The visitors travel to Madrid having also not lost this season in La Liga, but have only won one of their five league games and drawn four. They are currently 12th but can move into the top half with three points here.
The hosts come into this clash top of the league, winning five of their six league games so far this season and remaining unbeaten. They can extend their lead to second to five points with another win today.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of this La Liga clash between Real Madrid and Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
78′ Camavinga wins a corner as he tries to dig a cross out from the byline.