MADRID: Real Madrid suffered a disappointing 3-2 defeat at the hands of Villarreal in their La Liga encounter, just a week before their crucial Champions League clash against Chelsea.
Despite taking an early lead through Pau Torres's own goal, Real Madrid's hopes of retaining the title were dashed as Villarreal's Samuel Chukwueze stole the show with his impressive display, scoring twice and curling home the winner.
Vinicius Junior scored a brilliant solo goal for Real Madrid, but it wasn't enough to salvage a point.
Carlo Ancelotti made six changes to the starting lineup, looking to rest his key players before the Chelsea clash. However, the Italian coach maintained his attacking trio of Karim Benzema, Rodrygo and Vinicius in the hope of securing an early lead. Villarreal's veteran goalkeeper Pepe Reina denied Benzema and Rodrygo with two impressive saves, while Thibaut Courtois made two stops to deny Alex Baena.
Chukwueze's individual brilliance left Nacho Fernandez for dead, and he finished clinically past Courtois to level the scoreline. The second half started with Real Madrid coming out flying, and Vinicius scored a brilliant goal, leaving Aissa Mandi behind with his impressive dribbling skills. However, Real Madrid's hopes of securing a point were dashed when Chukwueze scored his second of the night, curling into the top corner from outside the area.
Real Madrid was awarded a penalty in the closing stages of the game, but the decision was later cancelled after consulting VAR replays. With this defeat, Real Madrid's hopes of retaining the La Liga title have been virtually eliminated, as they remain 12 points behind leaders Barcelona.
Villarreal rose to fifth in the table, two points clear of Real Betis. Coach Quique Setien praised Chukwueze's performance and labeled him as an "extraordinary player who is giving us a lot."
Real Madrid defender Lucas Vazquez acknowledged that the league is complicated but expressed confidence in their chances of winning two other competitions.
