Gerard Moreno scored from the penalty spot to earn Villarreal a point against Real Madrid, with Zinedine Zidane’s side allowing three points to slip through their fingers.
The visitors to the Estadio de la Ceramica took the lead after just two minutes when Mariano Diaz headed home a Dani Carvajal cross. There were protests from the Villarreal players after the linesman flag was raised then dropped during the build-up, but the goal stood.
Real Madrid dominated the majority of the first half and had opportunities to extend their advantage. They were made to pay for this wastefulness in the second period when Villarreal worked their way back into the contest as the Spanish champions grew weary.
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Thibaut Courtois gave Moreno the chance to level things from 12 yards out, bringing down Samuel Chukwueze inside the area. The Villarreal striker found the bottom corner of the net to earn a point for his side.
Takefusa Kubo was presented with a good opportunity to score a late winner against his parent club but had his shot from a tight angle smothered by Courtois. The result keeps Villarreal in second place and Real Madrid in fourth place in the La Liga table.