Madrid: Casillas; Carvajal, Varane, Pepe, Marcelo; Lucas Silva (Jesé 72‘), Kroos, Isco (Illarramendi 78’); Bale, Benzema (Chicharito 81‘), Cristiano Ronaldo. 4-3-3.
Villarreal: Sergio Asenjo; Mario Gaspar, Eric Bailly, Dorado, Jaume Costa; Joel Campbell, Tomás Pina (Manu Trigueros 61‘), Sergio Marcos (Jonathan Dos Santos 68‘), Moi Gómez; Giovani (Vietto 62‘), Gerard Moreno. 4-4-2.
Goals:
1-0. 52. Ronaldo (penalty). After Eric Bailly pulled down Ronaldo in the area.
1-1. 64. Moreno. Picked up return Vietto pass and steered shot past Casillas.
Yellow cards: Moi Gómez 37’, Eric Bailly 51’, Jaume Costa 70’, Dani Carvajal 76’, Sergio Asenjo 79’, Trigueros 87’, Pepe 89’.
Leaders Real Madrid could only draw 1-1 with sixth placed Villarreal in the Bernabeu stadium on Sunday evening, even though coach Marcelino left several of his star players out of the starting line-up. The visitors came close to scoring early on, Casillas blocking a shot by Gerard Moreno and Carvajal heading Moi Gómez’s follow up shot off the line with the keeper beaten. Varane headed a corner wide and a Bale cross was deflected onto the crossbar before the break though, and soon after the restart Ronaldo put Ancelotti’s side ahead from the penalty spot after Eric Bailly pulled him down in the area. Sergio Asenjo kept out Ronaldo soon afterwards, but with just over an hour gone Gerard Moreno combined with substitute Vietto to equalize with a low shot wide of Casillas. After that Asenjo made a two or three top class saves, in particular from Ronaldo, and Jesé missed a good chance later on after the visiting keeper failed to hold on to a long cross. Vietto could have scored at the other end a couple of times though, and Madrid end the day just two points above Barcelona, who they have to visit in three weeks time.