Deserved defeat at Villarreal is coming at the wrong time for a tired Real Madrid side

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On Saturday, Real Madrid were beaten by a second-half penalty to leave them tied with Barcelona at the top of LaLiga.

The results of the LaLiga table and results of the matches were reported.

Yeremy Pino put Villarreal ahead on 47 minutes before two penalties were given by the referee. After Juan Foyth handled inside the area before David Alaba was also punished, the home side was awarded a penalty which was converted by Benzema.

Player ratings, best and worst performers, highlights and notable moments, post match quotes, and key statistics are included in the jump.

Rapid reaction

1. No Madrid crisis yet, but defeat comes at a bad time

Real Madrid have not won at the La Ceramica stadium in over a year. The manner and timing of this defeat could cause alarm bells to ring. The game was close, with Madrid having marginally more possession and shots on target, but they didn't deserve their victory.

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This defeat comes ahead of a punishing schedule and any dropped points are cause for concern. They'll be back at La Ceramica in 10 days' time after traveling to Saudi Arabia to play in the Spanish Supercopa. Next up for Madrid is an away game against Athletic Club, followed by a home game against Real Sociedad in the last month of the season.

A win for Madrid would put them back in the driver's seat in the title race, but a loss for Barcelona would calm some nerves.

2. Madrid's non-Spanish XI reflects changing times

Real Madrid had not had a single Spanish-born player in the starting XI for over 100 years before Saturday's game. The team had three French players, two Germans and two Brazilians, and they were all on the bench.

A club like Madrid can target the world's best players in an increasingly globalised game. It's also a stark reminder of how a club that, for many years, was synonymous with the national team, is now a bit-part player when it comes to Spain. Only Carvajal and Asensio were part of the squad.

This isn't the first time Madrid have had 11 non-Spanish players on the pitch at the same time, but they have never done it before.

It's a result of the club's transfer policy. BrahimDiaz was the last Spanish first team signing. David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, Rodrygo Goes, David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga, Antonio Rudiger, and Aurelien Tchouameni have all joined since then. It's a trend that's going to continue with England's Jude Bellingham being targeted for next summer and Brazil's Endrick Felipe due in 2024.

3. Quique Setien's Villarreal start to take shape

The transition from Unai Emery toQuique Setien was going to be difficult. The style and philosophy of the two coaches are vastly different, with Setien favouring a more patient, possession based approach and Emery favouring defensive solidity.

It couldn't have gone worse for Setien. There were rumors that he might be fired two weeks after he took over. The World Cup break gave Setien valuable training ground time, and this was the best performance yet under the new boss.

The return of a key player is important. Spain's best forward, who was sorely missed by the national team, was absent from September until November due to a injury. He's back to his best, a constant menace for the Real Madrid defence, and that's good news for Setien. The quality of their squad makes a top four finish possible.

Player ratings

Francis Coquelin 7, Dani Parejo 8, Alex Baena 7, and Yeremy Pino 7, were all part of the team.

Subs: Alfonso Pedraza 6, Jose Luis Morales 6, Arnaut Danjuma 6, Manuel Trigueros 6.