Villarreal came back from a goal behind to earn a surprise draw at the Santiago Bernabeu as Real Madrid failed to go four points clear at the top of La Liga.
Cristiano Ronaldo gave the hosts the lead from the spot in the second half but the lead lasted just twelve minutes before Gerard Moreno's equaliser saw Villarreal earn a share of the spoils. Real started on the front foot and were enjoying a lot of possession in the early stages but the Villarreal defence looked solid and Real were reduced to efforts from distance with Cristiano Ronaldo shooting well wide after eight minutes. Seconds later Real got a corner which Villarreal struggled to clear. Real worked the ball to Lucas Silva just outside the box but his shot was wide of Sergio Asenjo's right hand post.
Villarreal got their first opportunity of the evening on eleven minutes with a free kick in a good position after a Pepe foul on Joel Campbell. Giovani dos Santos tried to curl it around the wall but it was deflected wide for a corner. From the corner Real struggled to clear and the ball fell to Gerard Moreno with the goal at his mercy but Iker Casillas closed him down quickly and Moi Gomez's attempt from the rebound was cleared off the line by Dani Carvajal.
The game was being played at a fast pace but neither side were having much luck in the final third until the thirty-fourth minute when Raphael Varane rose highest at a Toni Kroos corner but his downward header went just wide of Asenjo's post. Real almost made the breakthrough on forty-two minutes when Gareth Bale picked up the ball on the right wing and crossed toward the back post. The cross wasn't great but it hit the top of the crossbar and unfortunately for Bale and Real Madrid the game remained scoreless.
In stoppage tine at the end of the first half Real were awarded a free kick no less than forty yards from goal. Ronaldo decided it was within his range and let rip with a powerful effort but Asenjo watched it all the way as it went over the bar and the teams went in level at the break.
Real started the second well and Asenjo was forced into a good save just after the restart. Ronaldo picked the ball up on the right side of the box and beat Jaume Costa before unleashing a low shot across goal that Asenjo got down well to stop and his defence were on hand quickly to clear the loose ball.
The breakthrough came on fifty-two minutes when Ronaldo gave the hosts the lead from the penalty spot. Eric Bailly was all over Ronaldo when Bale crossed from the right and the referee awarded the spot kick which Ronaldo converted by sending Asenjo the wrong way. It was almost two minutes later when Bale put Ronaldo through with just Asenjo to beat but the goalkeeper got out quickly to block the Portuguese star's effort.
Ronaldo tried to return the favour seconds later by squaring to Bale along the edge of the box after he had got away from Bailly but the Welshman's effort was wild and well off target. Real had another opportunity just after the hour mark when they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box when Costa took down Marcelo. Ronaldo again decided to try his luck and again he was off target.
On sixty-four minutes Villarreal were level. Gerard Moreno linked up well with Luciano Vietto who had come on as a sub and Moreno shot from just inside the box and found the bottom corner of Casillas' goal to get Villarreal back in the game. The goal was very much against the run of play but Marcelino won't have been too worried about that.
Ronaldo had an opportunity to restore Real's lead on sixty-nine minutes when he got away from Bailly again on the left wing. This time he went straight toward goal and attempted to put his shot between Asenjo's legs but the keeper was just about able to make the stop to keep the scores level.
Real were piling on the pressure now and the next chance came just a minute later when Karim Benzema got up highest at a free kick but with the goal at his mercy his header went over the bar. If Asenjo was in the wrong place for Benzema's chance he made up for it seconds later when Bale again found Ronaldo in the box. This time the Portuguese superstar made good contact with his head but Asenjo got across to turn it over the bar with an acrobatic stop.
Villarreal had a great chance to take the lead on seventy-seven minutes when Vietto got behind the Real defence but as he tried to bring the ball under control he lost his footing and slipped before he got a shot away. It was a real let off for Real and Varane in particular who had misjudged the ball forward. Real continued to press for the winner and Ronaldo had another opportunity on eighty minutes when he picked up the ball on the right. He beat Costa with ease again but his shot was poor and went wide of Asenjo's goal.
Jese was handed a golden opportunity with just over five minutes left when Asenjo came off his line to claim a cross into the box. The goalkeeper made a mess of it and the ball fell to Jese but the young Spanish star was unable to get his shot on target with the goal gaping.
Villarreal were by no means parking the bus under the Real onslaught and were still looking to get forward and almost scored on eighty-six minutes when Moreno crossed from the left wing and Vietto got ahead of Varane but Casillas made a superb stop down low to his left.
Real had a real shout for another penalty seconds later when Javier Hernandez was played in by Dani Carvajal. Hernandez went down under pressure from Bailly but the referee wasn't interested and waved play on.
Asenjo made a fine save as the game approached stoppage time when a Bale cross was diverted goalward by Costa but the goalkeeper got down to make a sublime save.Cristiano Ronaldo almost won it in stoppage time when he got up highest to a cross from Marcelo but his header back across goal was off target.
Unsurprisingly Real continued to push forward for a winner but Villarreal weren't going to be denied and held firm for a famous point at the Santiago Bernabeu. Real now hold a two point lead over Barcelona at the top of La Liga and the stage looks perfectly set for what could be a sensational showdown at the Camp Nou in three weeks time.
Villarreal will also have eyes on a clash with Barcelona but they only have to wait three days for their Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against the Catalans. Marcelino's side trail 3-1 from the first leg but they showed enough tonight to suggest that Barcelona can't afford to underestimate them and will have to earn a place in the Final.