With 10 seconds of stoppage time remaining, Real Madrid win a corner. The referee lets them take it, but Villarreal clear the original delivery and then the follow up cross from Marcelo. IT'S ALL OVER!
90' +2
HEADED OVER! Real Madrid are running out of time and that was another glorious chance for them to grab a winner. Marcelo sends a wonderful cross in towards the far post and Ronaldo rises well to meet it, but his header is over the bar.
90'
OFF THE WOODWORK! Kroos finds space and dribbles his way into the penalty area from the left. His cross is blocked by Gaspar, who nearly puts it into his own net! Three minutes of stoppage time and we are into it now.
89'
Pepe gets yellow.
88'
Graceful build-up from Real Madrid who pass their way through the Villarreal defence. Javier Hernandez runs to try and get onto the end of a through ball and then goes to ground inside the area. There was almost no contact and the referee immediately waves away Real Madrid's frantic appeals for a penalty. Bailly is none too impressed with Chicharito, nor should he be, as the two come together in a heated exchange.
87'
Manu Trigueros gets yellow.
86'
WONDERFUL HIT! Vietto gets onto the end of a good ball forward from Moi Gomez and shows great technique to send a spectacular left-footed volley towards the far post. Casillas seemed surprised by the contact, but reacts well to dive across and keep it out. End to end action here!
84'
JESE SENDS IT WIDE! That could prove to be absolutely crucial! A long ball forward looks to be controled by Asenjo, but the ball slips through his hands and falls kindly for Jese. The substitute has a gaping goal in front of him and his teammates start to celebrate, but the final effort bounces wide at the near post! Shocking miss.
82'
Good build-up play again from Villarreal with Jaume and Vietto linking up well along the left. The striker plays a clever back-heel return pass for the left-back, but he stopped his run. That could very well have sent him through on goal had he kept going.
81'
J. Hernández enters the game and replaces K. Benzema.
Minute
Description
80'
Marcelino has to feel good about Real Madrid's most recent change, with the hosts bringing on the more defensive minded Illarramendi in place of Isco. Ancelotti respects the threat Villarreal pose and is perhaps realizing they could wind up losing if they do not shore things up in midfield.
79'
Sergio Asenjo gets yellow.
78'
Illarramendi enters the game and replaces Isco.
HE SLIPPED! Oh my what a chance that was for the visitors to take the lead! An error at the back allows Vietto in behind the defence. He is clean through on goal, but slips just at the edge of the area with Pepe giving chase. Absolutely unbelievable! That could - or should - have been the go-ahead goal!
76'
Dani Carvajal gets yellow.
Villarreal alleviate the pressure on their goal as they mount a promising counter and win a free kick with Carvajal sliding into the feet of Trigueros. The ball is played short and it breaks kindly for Moi Gomez, but Real Madrid manage to clear his low cross.
74'
STAT ATTACK: Villarreal have lost back-to-back away matches in the league for the first time this season. They have not lost three consecutive road league matches since February to March of 2012.
72'
Jesé enters the game and replaces Lucas Silva.
Real Madrid make their first change and Lucas Silva is withdrawn for a more attacking presence in the form of Jese Rodriguez. Los Blancos are going to throw everything forward in search of an equalizer in the final 20 minutes.
70'
Jaume Costa gets yellow.
BRILLIANT! Asenjo refuses to be beaten! Bale sends an inviting cross in from the left, but it's the work of Ronaldo in the centre who again gets the better of Bailly before sending a lightning bolt of a header towards goal. It is destined for the top corner but Asenjo flies through the air and gets half a hand to it to keep it out! Superb reactionary save from the keeper!
68'
J. dos Santos enters the game and replaces Sergio Marcos.
ASENJO TO THE RESCUE AGAIN! Ronaldo latches onto the end of another pass and throws Bailly to ground en route to goal, but Asenjo rushes off his line to deny the Portuguese forward and grab the rebound to prevent an easy tap in!
66'
The visitors are right back in the game now and it is showing in their play. That could prove to be a huge goal in the bigger scheme of the title race, but there is still plenty of football to play. What a finish we have on our hands here!
64'
Gerard Moreno has scored a goal for Villarreal!
VILLARREAL PULL LEVEL! It's a lovely finish from Gerard Moreno and comes at the end of some truly exquisite build-up play. A cross is played in from the left by Jaume and Vietto links up well with Moreno. The return pass takes a slight deflection but falls kindly for the striker who sweeps it home with his left foot, past Casillas at the far post.
63'
Overlooked in the build-up to the free kick was the two changes made by Villarreal. Luciano Vietto, who has scored five of his side's 16 away goals in the league this season, comes on to try and salvage something from the match. Manuel Trigueros is also introduced to add a greater presence in midfield.
62'
L. Vietto enters the game and replaces G. dos Santos.
The crowd is buzzing as Ronaldo stands over the free kick. It is placed almost directly in the centre of the pitch, just a yard outside the area. The run up is short, as is the anticipation of the fans as the final effort comes nowhere close to troubling Asenjo in goal.
61'
Manu Trigueros enters the game and replaces Tomás Pina.
Marcelo, acting as a centre-forward, makes an elegant run forward and gets to the edge of the penalty area before being taken down. It's a bit of a soft foul, but this presents a real chance for Real Madrid to double their advantage.
59'
GOOD CHANCE! Villarreal start their pursuit for an equalizer and wind up winning a corner. The delivery is sent over the head of Bailly, but Jaume rushes in to meet it at the far post. He makes good contact with the volley but fails to hit the target.
57'
STAT ATTACK: Real Madrid have now won 10 penalties in the league this campaign, the most in Spain's top division. They were awarded just six in all of last season.
55'
Shocking miss! Ronaldo gets onto the end of another pass, this time from Isco. He has time and space to shoot, but tries to instead return the favour to his teammate, sliding it across the top of the box for Bale who blasts it into the top row of the stadium.
54'
MASSIVE SAVE! Ronaldo nearly doubles his tally as he's played through on goal by Bale after a superb run by the Welshman. Asenjo rushes out to keep the game close then takes a boot to the face as the forward tries to dive over him to avoid a collision.
52'
Penalty goal scored by Cristiano Ronaldo for Real Madrid!
RONALDO CONVERTS AND REAL MADRID LEAD! It's his 39th league goal of the season and a quite comfortable one at that. He blasts it into the back of the net, relatively close to the centre of the goal, with Asenjo guessing wrong.
51'
E. Bailly gets yellow.
PENALTY TO REAL MADRID! Bailly is all over Ronaldo as a cross is played into the box, tackling the Portuguese forward to prevent him from getting his head to it and the referee doesn't hesitate in pointing to the spot!
50'
Incredible hustle from Bale. Moi Gomez darts through midfield and into attack. He has options to his left and right, but Bale shows great determination to sprint back and lunge in to knock the ball back to his keeper.
48'
IMPORTANT SAVE! A swift Real Madrid counter sees Ronaldo played into the area. The forward takes on Chechu and creates space for a shot. He gets great power behind it, but Asenjo gets down smartly to his right to keep it out before Bailly ushers it clear.
46'
Back underway! No changes from either side at the break.
45' +2
From close to 40 yards out Ronaldo stands over a free kick, won by Kroos. Anticipation builds inside the stadium but the end result is a letdown as his powerful strike never does dip, sailing over the bar as the first half comes to an end.
45'
Villarreal enjoy a nice spell in possession, showing good patience with their passing. It winds up resulting in nothing, however, as Pina's through ball runs behind for a goal kick as the referee's assistant signals two minutes of stoppage time.
43'
OFF THE BAR! Real Madrid finally wear down the Villarreal defence with their passing, allowing Bale to zip his way into the area. The Welshman tries to chip a cross into the centre with Ronaldo and Benzema waiting, but winds up putting it off the crossbar! That was hardly his intention, but it's the closest they've come to putting the ball in the net in this first half.
41'
STAT ATTACK: Villarreal – along with Atletico Madrid and Sevilla – have allowed just 13 goals in the league this season away from home. Only Barcelona (eight) have conceded fewer.
39'
In a rather surprising turn of events, Eric Bailly is back on the pitch and Villarreal are back to their full compliment. They need it, too, as Real Madrid pass it around well in the attacking third, pressing for an equalizer before the break.
37'
Moi Gómez gets yellow.
Villarreal have looked confident at the back, but their inability to consistently break into attack and relieve some of the pressure is starting to take its toll. Moi Gomez tries to win the ball back in midfield and winds up sweeping the legs of Isco out from under him, earning the first yellow card of the match.
35'
There is another delay now with a Villarreal player down injured. This one looks much worse, however, as Eric Bailly is down clutching his face. It is unclear exactly what happened, but based on the reaction from the medical staff - who are carrying him off the pitch on a stretcher - the forecast doesn't look very promising for the defender.
33'
BEST CHANCE YET! Real Madrid are getting closer, and this chance is nearly identical to that from Bale just a couple short minutes ago. Kroos delivers again from the corner flag - this time on the opposite side - and Varane's glancing header narrowly misses at the far post.
31'
HEADED WIDE! A delicious delivery is played into the penalty area by Kroos from a corner and Bale rises well to meet it. He tries to guide it in at the far post but needed to make stronger contact as his header misses the target. That was a real opportunity for the Welshman.
29'
STAT ATTACK: Excluding matches against Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid have not lost at the Santiago Bernabeu in league play since April 2011 – 2-3 against Real Zaragoza – a span of 62 games (W57, D5).
27'
There is a brief stoppage as Joel Campbell comes out worse for wear after a collision in his own end. The winger just had the wind knocked out of him and will be fine to continue. Ancelotti uses the short timeout to coach his players, calling out signals from the touchline.
25'
The hosts continue to apply pressure in search of the opener, opting to work down the right. They are finding space but they continue to lack a good final ball. The story has been the same so far for Real Madrid in attack: cross, corner, cross, clearance. They need someone to take charge and change the trend.
23'
Carvajal finds space on that same flank, but sees his cross blocked by the arm of Moi Gomez. The referee awards Real Madrid a free kick, opting not to brandish a card. The ensuing delivery is dealt with and Villarreal hold firm yet again.
21'
Important intervention! Bale is starting to find his legs and cause Jaume Costa a few problems on the right. The forward finds his way into the area and sends a clever chipped cross into the centre for Benzema, but Asenjo lunges in fearlessly to punch clear.
19'
Possession has and is being dominated by Real Madrid, but it's been Villarreal who have come closest to opening the scoring. The visitors are keeping their shape very well at the back, affording very little space down the flanks where they love to attack.
17'
STAT ATTACK: Villarreal have never won a La Liga match against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in 14 attempts (D3, L11).
15'
Real Madrid will consider themselves lucky not to be behind and they are trying to do something about it. They push forward into attack, where they look much more comfortable, but Kroos' cross for Benzema is just a fraction too high as the striker can't make clean contact.
13'
ABSOLUTELY SENSATIONAL DEFENDING! Villarreal win a corner following the free kick. A scuffed shot surges into the area, but Gerard Moreno is able to bring it down. He's through on goal but can't get the better of Casillas. The rebound falls kindly for Moi Gomez, but with the keeper scrambling Carvajal comes to the rescue clearing the shot spectaularly off the line!
11'
Good work from Joel Campbell, who notices his side are struggling to break into attack and opts to take matters into his own hands. The Costa Rican darts through the centre and forces Pepe into a foul, earning the Yellow Submarine a free kick from just under 30 yards out.
9'
PINBALL! Following a Real Madrid corner, the ball pings around in the area with no one able to make clean contact. It rolls to the top of the area for Pepe, who lays it off for Lucas Silva, but the midfielder's final shot winds up rolling wide at the far post. The youngster is still looking for his first goal since arriving at the club in January.
7'
After a couple of quiet minutes with Real Madrid in possession, Ronaldo gets the crowd going again as he winds up for a shot from distance. His attempt at the spectacular turns out to be over-ambitious, however, as he misses the target by a wide margin.
5'
Swift counter attack from the visitors and it looks promising, but a mistimed run by Giovani results in an offside. The striker rather selfishly opted to take the chane on his own, anyhow, failing to test Casillas at the near post.
3'
Good early pressure applied by the hosts, but it's wasted as a promising ball played across to the right for Daniel Carvajal is misjudged by the defender before running out of play. They win it right back and another encouraging cross is sent into the area this time for Ronaldo, but Asenjo comes out to collect.
1'
The hosts kick-off and we are underway! Real Madrid in white, moving left to right. Villarreal in yellow.
Good day La Liga fans and welcome to Madrid! The Santiago Bernabeu is our venue this evening as Real Madrid attempt to restore their four-point lead atop the table against a Villarreal side trying to chase down fourth place. I am Alex Moretto and I will be your in-game host, guiding you through the match LIVE as it happens!
Real Madrid saw their lead atop the La Liga table cut to just one point after Barcelona's triumph over Granada yesterday, but can ensure they do not lose any ground by claiming a victory of their own tonight. Carlo Ancelotti's men have the added benefit of a week's rest, while Villarreal played Thursday in Austria. A draw or defeat would certainly make things interesting in the scope of the title race, but Los Blancos boast a superb head-to-head record against the Yellow Submarine in league play.
Villarreal are in a fight of their own in the league, desperately trying for a top four finish. They will settle for a spot in the Europa League – which is looking safe for the time being – but a fourth place finish is certainly not out of the realm of possibility. Marcelino had his side in tip-top shape in their victory over Salzburg on Thursday – a third straight victory for the Yellow Submarine – and they will be looking to carry that form into this daunting trip to the Santiago Bernabeu.
CONFIRMED TEAM NEWS:
REAL MADRID (4-4-2): Casillas; Carvajal, Pepe, Varane, Marcelo; Bale, Kroos, Silva, Isco; Benzema, Ronaldo.
VILLARREAL (4-4-2): Asenjo; Gaspar, Bailly, Dorado, Costa; Campbell, Pina, Marcos, Gomez; Moreno, G. Dos Santos.
REAL MADRID SUBS: Coentrao, Navas, Hernandez, Arbeloa, Nacho, Jese, Illarramendi.
VILLARREAL SUBS: Musacchio, J. Dos Santos, Vietto, Uche, Trigueros, Ruiz, Carlos.
Sergio Ramos (hamstring), Luka Modric (thigh), Sami Khedira (thigh), Fabio Coentrao (calf), and James Rodriguez (fractured metatarsal) remain out for Los Blancos, prompting boss Carlo Ancelotti to use the same starting XI he went with in their victory over Elche one short week ago. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, as the old saying goes. Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema spearhead the attack with four bonafide and intelligent playmakers right behind them in midfield. Pepe and Raphael Varane remain together at the back in the absence of Ramos and the duo have worked quite well together of late.
For Marcelino, team selection is a much more delicate issue. Having just played in Austria on Thursday, the coach has made a number of changes to the starting XI. Eric Bailly and Chechu Dorado are back in at centre-back, with the duo resting midweek. Having started in both matches last week, Jonathan Dos Santos is given a rest with Sergio Marcos taking his place. Joel Campbell and Moi Gomez return after a midweek break, replacing Denis Cheryshev and Manu Trigueros. Up top the coach has also brought two new faces in, optiong to go with the duo of Giovani Dos Santos and Gerard Moreno instead of the in-form Luciano Vietto and Ikechukwu Uche.
There is a bit of a delay at the start of the match as the Santiago Bernabeu pay tribute to the Real Madrid basketball team who won their championship. The players go out onto the pitch and there is a warm applause through the stadium - but at this point the anticipation of the match ahead is the real buzz in the air.
HALF TIME: REAL MADRID 0-0 VILLARREAL. Marcelino's side, with many of their first-team regulars resting, have played magnificently through 45 minutes. They are limiting the hosts' chances and preventing them from getting in behind, and are fully deserving of the clean sheet right now. It was the visitors who came closest to scoring in the first half, but Carvajal came to the rescue, heading Moi Gomez's shot off the line.
FULL-TIME: REAL MADRID 1-1 VILLARREAL. Los Blancos fail to restore their four point lead atop the table, which has now shrunk to two. It's a tremendous result for the visitors and a deserved one at that, with Gerard Moreno's tally cancelling out Ronaldo's goal from the penalty spot. Both teams had a plethora of chances to grab a winner but in the end a draw is probably a fair result.
I am Alex Moretto and I would like to thank you all for joining me here today. Good bye!
Commentary
More…