The La Liga match between Real Madrid and Villarreal ended in a humiliating 3-2 loss for Real Madrid, barely one week before Real Madrid's significant Champions League match against Chelsea.
Real Madrid's chances of regaining the title were crushed after taking an early lead thanks to an own goal by Pau Torres. Villarreal's Samuel Chukwueze stole the show later with an outstanding performance, scoring twice and curling in the game-winning goal. Which earned him a high appreciation from the coach, who claimed that he has been a constant threat to the side for a few weeks. In response, Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior scored an outstanding solo goal, but it wasn't enough to earn them a point. Real Madrid is now 12 points behind league-leading Barcelona, thereby ending their chances of defending their La Liga crown. Villarreal improved two points above Real Betis to move up to sixth in the standings.