Real Madrid: 3 Man of the Match candidates against Villarreal

Real Madrid will face Villarreal on Thursday night with the opportunity to win their 34th La Liga title.

After holding onto a 2-1 lead and defeating ninth-placed Granada on Monday night at Los Carmenes, Real Madrid have the opportunity to win La Liga by winning on Thursday night at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano against Villarreal.

The Yellow Submarine are a tough team to top, given that they are fifth in the table and boast some of the league’s best players in the likes of Santi Cazorla and Paco Alcacer.

But Real Madrid have plenty of star power of their own. Here are three Man of the Match candidates against Villarreal.

CB Sergio Ramos

Captain Sergio Ramos has been a man on a mission since La Liga’s return, and that mission is to win the league title. Ramos has scored 10 goals this season for Los Blancos, placing him second on the team behind Karim Benzema. Half of his goals have come since the restart, as the team leader has bagged five goals in eight games.

Ramos is scoring in all sorts of ways. He remains perfect for his career from the penalty spot, and he even scored with a delightful free kick. The 34-year-old hasn’t shirked back from his defensive duties either, which will be even more important against the potent striker duo of Paco Alcacer and the free-scoring Gerard Moreno.

More than capable of standing up to the challenge of defending against players like Alcacer, Moreno, and wide man Samuel Chukwueze, Ramos is a prime Man of the Match candidate. If Real Madrid get all three points and win the league, you have to figure the captain will be decisive in that effort.