Real Madrid missed the chance to go four points clear at the top of La Liga after being held to a 1-1 draw by Villarreal on Sunday.

Cristiano Ronaldo sent the home side ahead from the penalty spot early in the second period, but Gerard Moreno levelled the scores after 64 minutes.

Real Madrid are still top, but they are now just two points clear of second-placed Barcelona. Villarreal, meanwhile, remain sixth.

Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action in Madrid.

Match statistics

REAL MADRID
Shots: 25
On target: 7
Possession: 61%
Corners: 10
Fouls: 7

VILLARREAL
Shots: 9
On target: 4
Possession: 39%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 20

Was the result fair?

One look at the statistics would suggest that Real Madrid were desperately unlucky not to win this match, but in truth, Villarreal were well worth a point for their efforts. The home side had 16 more attempts in total, but just three more on target, which is a demonstration of their struggles in the final third. It would have been easy for Villarreal's second-string to collapse when they conceded early in the second period, but the visitors responded to draw level and had chances to win it late on. Villarreal had to rely on their goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo to make a clutch of excellent saves, but their overall performance was impressive.

Had Real Madrid claimed all the points late on then it would not have been an unjust result, with the pressure really cranked up in the final five minutes. However, defeat would have been very difficult for Villarreal to take after an impressive rearguard display. On another night, Villarreal also might have won it, with Luciano Vietto racing through on goal late on, but the Argentine lost his footing at the vital moment. When taking into account everything that occurred at the Bernabeu, a point apiece was a fair result.

Real Madrid's performance

It would be fair to say that Real Madrid were very disappointing in the first period - managing just one attempt on target. There were no real surprises in the team selection, with Carlo Ancelotti still being forced to operate with a number of injuries. That said, the Italian would have expected his team to have far too much for an under-strength Villarreal. It took until the second period for Ronaldo to get going and the Portuguese sent Los Blancos ahead from the penalty spot after being pulled down by Eric Bailly inside the box. Ronaldo then had another two or three golden chances, but found Asenjo in stunning form. Had a second gone in for the hosts, it would probably have been game over, but Villarreal somehow remained in the match.

The equaliser did not exactly come against the run of play, however, with Moreno equalising on just one of Villarreal's many counters in the second period. That said, there was still more than enough time for the hosts to find another. Ronaldo remained the most threatening, but Gareth Bale was guilty of missing some good chances, while Karim Benzema struggled to influence proceedings. The pressure was cranked up in the latter stages, but unfortunately Real Madrid could not find a second, which is disappointing considering they had 25 attempts. They remain top of the table after 25 matches, but they are now just two points clear of second-placed Barcelona. El Clasico, which is on the horizon, will be absolutely crucial to the race.

Villarreal's performance

When the team sheets were handed in, there was some general disappointment with the XI that Marcelino had selected. The Spaniard made seven changes from his regular side, with star players Vietto, Jonathan dos Santos, Victor Ruiz, Manu Trigueros and Mateo Musacchio just five that were left on the bench. Marcelino has favoured the Europa League with his team selection in recent weeks, while the Yellow Submarine have the small matter of the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final against Barcelona on Wednesday. Many predicted a straightforward win for Real Madrid, but Villarreal had not read the script, with a number of their youngsters and indeed fringe players making a serious impression.

Moreno, who scored Villarreal's leveller, had a super match, while Moi Gomez and Bailly - despite a couple of lapses - really impressed. After falling 1-0 behind, Villarreal's character was tested, but they came through that challenge with flying colours. They could have been forgiven for sitting back at 1-1 and attempting to secure a point, but they were on the front foot for long spells in the second period. As mentioned, Vietto had a glorious chance late on, but fell to the ground under pressure from Pepe. The Yellow Submarine are probably going to miss out on Champions League football this season, but they are comfortably sixth in the table and still in the Copa del Rey and Europa League. Marcelino's squad management will be even more important in the months ahead, but he seems to have stumbled upon the right system.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Sergio Asenjo: There are a few contenders for this award, but Villarreal goalkeeper Asenjo must be recognised. Ronaldo beat the Spaniard from the penalty spot, but could not find a way past the stopper in the latter stages. Asenjo made two or three excellent saves, but his standout moment came when he somehow tipped a bullet Ronaldo header over the crossbar. In truth, Villarreal would not have secured a point but for their excellent goalkeeper.

Biggest gaffe

Jese Rodriguez missing an open goal for Real Madrid late on is worth a shout, but it was a difficult angle. Villarreal defender Bailly, however, was extremely naive in the latter stages. The Ivorian had already conceded a penalty for a poor challenge on Ronaldo, but he then appeared to push Javier Hernandez to the ground inside the area late on. It was not a clear spot kick, but it gave the referee a decision to make and it might well have cost his team. Overall, Bailly, who is incredibly inexperienced at this level, had a super evening, but he will have to learn from a couple of high-profile mistakes.

Referee performance

As expected, it was a busy evening for referee Jose Gonzalez. As mentioned, the official was correct to award Real Madrid a penalty when Bailly pulled Ronaldo to the ground, but the second shout - Bailly on Hernandez - could have gone either way. Gonzalez also had an eventful night in terms of cards - issuing seven in total. That said, for the most part, the official allowed the match to flow in the correct areas and certainly contributed to what was an end-to-end and high-tempo affair.

What next?

Real Madrid: Next up for Los Blancos in the league is a trip to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.

Villarreal: The Yellow Submarine, meanwhile, host Celta Vigo next Sunday.