Real Madrid were stunned at home by Villarreal, seeing their already hefty deficit at the top of the La Liga table grow even larger.
Los Blancos picked up right where they left off against Barcelona last time out, hitting Villarreal with a combination of possession and counter-attacks.
They quickly found the opener that they deserved, albeit in scrappy fashion, as a Marco Asensio cross found its way into the back of the net off the leg of Villarreal defender Pau Torres.
While Real looked to cruise to the break with their lead intact, there was a sting in the tale, as Samuel Chukwueze sat Nacho down with fancy footwork before stabbing home from inside the box to level the scoreline before the break.
It did not take long for Real to reclaim their lead in the second half, as Vinícius Jr. put his dribbling skills on full display by cutting through a duo of Villarreal defenders before slotting in Madrid’s second of the night.
The visitors did not drop their heads however, and they reclaimed parity with 20 minutes remaining thanks to José Luis Morales sticking a leveler home from close range after a scramble in the box.
Astonishingly, it was Villarreal who found a late winner, despite Real being known for their dramatic finishes at the Santiago Bernabéu. Samuel Chukwueze stepped up for his side once again, lashing a finessed effort past the outstretched hand of Thibaut Courtois.
It looked as if Los Blancos would be awarded a late penalty to sprinkle the final bit of drama on the night, but the penalty was revoked after a VAR review, much to the chagrin of the home crowd.
Despite seven minutes of added time to push, Real was unable to find a late equaliser, seeing the capital club fall even further behind at the top of La Liga.
