Real manager Zinedine Zidane was philosophical. "There's nothing to explain, it's just the way things are, it's football," he said. "I'm not worried about it, but I'm disappointed, as always when you drop two points at home."
Barcelona beat third place Getafe on Saturday to open a 10-point gap on the chasing pack. Sevilla could have climbed to third on Sunday but were held, 2-2 too, at home by rock-bottom Espanyol.
Real had won five straight in La Liga to accelerate past Barcelona. On Sunday they welcomed back Eden Hazard, who had been out since November. Coach Zinedine Zidane also recalled his other 100 million euro player Gareth Bale to complete an all-star attack with Karim Benzema.
"There were mistakes, especially for the first goal," said Zidane. "We were not well positioned, it happens, and it'll happen to us again."