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Real Madrid's La Liga chances were effectively ended as Los Blancos fell to a 0-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu as Villarreal won their first ever La Liga game away to Madrid.
Pablo Fornals scored in the 87th minute to send Villarreal into delirium and twist the knife into Zinedine Zidane's back, as Madrid now find themselves 16 points behind Barcelona, without a game in hand, leaving them in 4th place.
Here are the major talking points from the game:
#1 Second Half Misery
If half-time scores were valid, Real Madrid would be 8 points better off in the table. It wouldn't be enough for Los Blancos to be any close to Barcelona at the moment, but the difference in both sides is stark.
For the opening 73 minutes of their respective games this season, Villarreal held Barcelona and Real Madrid to a goalless draw. While Real Madrid grew increasingly nervous, Barcelona remained calm and stuck to the gameplan, amping up the pressure as Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi scored to go back with a 2-0 win from the Ceramic Stadium.
Los Blancos' first response to the Bernabeu's frustration is to do one thing. Cross. Real Madrid had 11 corners and made nothing of it, Marcelo sent in cross after cross with no reward. When only 2 headers have been scored by the side all season, Zidane ought to really attempt something other than low percentage crosses.
It was rather confusing, as Madrid played quite well in the first half, and fashioned plenty of chances with good football through the middle. Just what is happening to this side in the dressing room?
#2 La Liga might need VAR
It will get buried given the enormity of the result, but Real Madrid ought to have had two penalties awarded to them in the first half. The first was pretty much stonewall, As Ronaldo's header was handled by Alvaro Gonzalez in the box and diverted the trajectory of the ball, with Gareth Bale lurking.
The second came on the stroke of half-time, as Isco sent in a low cross that would be bread-and-butter for Ronaldo only for a minor shove from Gaspar to wrong-foot the Portuguese star at the last moment, resulting in a left-footed shot that was saved by Asenjo.
Bad luck tends to double down when things are not going your way.
There will be plenty of justifiable criticism of Real Madrid after the game, but the truth of the matter is that had VAR been in effect, Madrid would have been 2-0 up when Pablo Fornals scored. Zinedine Zidane might not rage in the press after the game, but he really ought to.
#3 Should Real Madrid sell Cristiano Ronaldo?
It sounds like heresy, but hear me out.
Cristiano Ronaldo deserves loyalty - he's been the backbone of Real Madrid's success over the last decade. However, Real Madrid are a club where winning matters - sentimentality does not.
Ronaldo is experiencing the beginning of his downfall - but his drop has been precipitous, not the gradual decline that many expected. The Portuguese star has the worst conversion rate in La Liga among players who have scored more than 3 goals, and it is not even close.
Shot after aimless shot emerged from Ronaldo's boot tonight, and Madrid look for him at every turn, often ignoring Gareth Bale, who is in much better form. Letting Ronaldo go could allow a refresh in attacking style of play.
However, Ronaldo still can command a huge fee in this transfer market, and clubs in the Premier League/Ligue 1 who can pay in excess of €150 million are in the market for superstar quality.
Strike while the iron is hot and all that - because Ronaldo isn't going to break the €100 million barrier next season.
#4 Villarreal were set up perfectly
Fran Escriba's sacking launched reserve team manager Javi Calleja into the limelight, and ever since he has taken over, Villarreal look a side reborn. Calleja began his managerial career with a run of 6 unbeaten games (4 wins, 2 draws) before a 3 game blip. Impressive away wins to Celta Vigo and Valencia followed, but the scalp of Real Madrid takes the crown.
This was history.
Villarreal were beautifully set up in the second half - while their first-half performance was all about absorbing pressure, Calleja switched things around in the second half, opting for a high press as he knew Madrid would grow increasingly nervous as the game remained goalless.
Denis Cheryshev was the perfect player to use as a counter-attacking threat and it worked in the 87th minute, as he set up Unal perfectly, only for Navas to save it, but he could do nothing to deny to effervescent Pablo Fornals from scoring the winner with a gorgeous chipped effort.
Keep this up, and the UEFA Champions League beckons.
#5 PSG is make-or-break for Zidane's future
The pre-season hammerings of Manchester United and Barcelona seem a long, long way away for Zinedine Zidane right now. There were already murmurs that Zidane would go on to become the greatest manager of all time for Los Blancos.
Miguel Munoz's pedestal is safe.
La Liga is all but gone - if Barcelona win their next game, Real Madrid would be closer to relegation than the top. Even winning the Copa del Rey might not be enough for a club of Real Madrid's stature. Florentino Perez is not a patient man, and Zidane truly now has to consider the real prospect of a sacking.
Lose to Paris St-Germain over two legs - and Zinedine Zidane could be handed his termination letter. Even if Madrid beat PSG, it might not be enough. Luis Enrique won the Copa del Rey and defeated PSG last season - Zidane might very well do so to, but he could very well join his former competitor as an unemployed man in the coming few months.
