Real Madrid were defeated 2-1 by Villarreal in their first game of 2023, blowing the La Liga title race wide open. The defending champions now have 38 points from 16 games, while Barcelona are on the same with one more game to play.
But, they will be taking on Atletico Madrid in an attempt to get ahead of their Clasico rivals in the table. Real, as a result, will be counting on their local rivals to keep them on level terms at the top of the table to prevent any further mishaps.
Real Madrid come up short against Villarreal
Interestingly, there wasn’t a single Spanish player in Real Madrid’s starting eleven for the first time in their history. And for Villarreal, it was a very important win which sees them climb up to fifth and remain in contention for the Champions League spots.
Ferland Mendy made a few key errors leading to Yeremy Pino’s opener, which the hosts deserved. They had much more intensity than the reigning champions on the day, and were in the lead. However, Karim Benzema scored a penalty that took him level with Alfredo di Stefano in terms of La Liga goals scored.
But, Gerard Moreno scored a spot kick of his own to make it 2-1 in the favour of the Yellow Submarine, after David Alaba conceded following a handball.
And ultimately, Villarreal’s perfect execution helped them overcome one of their toughest opponents throughout the season.
