"We were effective in our press" - Quique Setien explains how his Villarreal side beat Real Madrid 

Villarreal manager Quique Setien has explained how his team secured a much-important 2-1 victory against Real Madrid in their latest match in La Liga at the El Madrigal on Saturday, January 7.

The defending champions missed the chance to go top of the La Liga table with a win or draw. Barcelona are currently the leader of the La Liga table with 38 points from 15 matches. The Blaugranas will take on Atletico Madrid on January 9, hoping to bank upon this opportunity and build take the lead against Los Blancos.

Setien emphasized the importance of pressing and dominating the opponent's half of the field against Los Blancos.

"We started well, dominating the rival's half and generating chances," Setien said after the game. "We suffered a few occasions but were positive in both directions."

The Villarreal manager also noted the importance of not allowing Real Madrid to have possession of the ball in their famous win at home on Saturday. He said via Managing Madrid:

"We focused on this aspect in this match because if you let Madrid have the ball it will create more problems for you," Setien explained. "We have had predisposition and we were effective in our press. I'm happy for the match."

Setien's tactics paid off as Villarreal were able to secure a victory over their highly respected opponents. The manager's emphasis on pressing and controlling possession proved to be a successful strategy.

It will be interesting to see if other teams try to adopt a similar approach in the future.

Overall, Setien's post-game comments highlight the importance of a well-executed game plan in football. By focusing on pressing and possession, Villarreal were able to outmaneuver and defeat Real Madrid, one of the top teams in the world.

It will be interesting to see if Setien's team can continue to implement this strategy successfully in the future and build on their impressive victory ahead of their campaign.

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History made as Real Madrid fielded its first-ever lineup without any Spanish players in the defeat against Villareal

On Saturday, January 7, Real Madrid suffered a 2-1 loss against Villareal, allowing Barcelona to pull ahead in the standings.

In a historic first, Real Madrid took the field without any Spanish players in the starting lineup. This marks a significant shift for the team, which has traditionally relied on a mix of Spanish and international players.

The starting 11 had a majority of players from Brazil and France, with a few individuals from Belgium, Uruguay, Croatia, and Germany.

However, Spanish winger Lucas Vasquez was brought in as a substitute in the second half of the game by their Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Real Madrid will lock horns with Athletic Club Bilbao in their next La Liga fixture on Sunday, January 22.