Real Madrid, the league leader, prepared for the anticipated match on Tuesday in Paris against French team PSG in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 with a disappointing goalless draw against Villarreal on Saturday in the 24th round of La Liga. The Royal Club hoped to return from the "La Cerámica" stadium with their 17th win of the season to restore a six-point lead over their pursuer Sevilla, who won 2-0 against Elche on Friday. However, they failed to score, settling for their sixth draw of the season, increasing their tally to 54 points and reducing the gap with the Andalusian club to four points.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti's team was affected by the absence of their French forward Karim Benzema, who is recovering from a thigh injury he sustained during the draw with Lecce (2-2) on January 23, when he missed his first penalty in La Liga. Benzema will be racing against time to participate in Tuesday's match against PSG, and his absence was certainly felt on Saturday against Villarreal, who temporarily moved from fifth to sixth place on goal difference from defending champions Atletico Madrid, who are set to play against Getafe later.
The match against Villarreal was Ancelotti's hundredth in La Liga as coach of Real Madrid. The Italian managed the team during his first term from 2013 to 2015, leading them to a treble of the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup in 2014, in addition to the domestic cup that same year, before being dismissed from his position, which he regained this season after varying experiences with Bayern Munich, Napoli, and Everton.
Contrary to expectations, Ancelotti chose to start the match with Welsh player Gareth Bale instead of Serbian Luka Jovic, placing him in the attacking line alongside Brazilian Vinicius Junior and Marco Asensio. Real had a tough start under pressure from the hosts, who were close to scoring if not for the bad luck after the post denied Dutchman Arnaut Danjuma's attempt following a pass from new Argentine signing Giovani Lo Celso (18th minute).
Villarreal threatened Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois' net again in the 38th minute through Gerard Moreno, but the Belgian was ready (38). Then, Real had their first real attempt on goal, but Bale failed to convert a clear chance against Argentine goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli after an excellent pass from Brazilian Casemiro (42).
The goalless draw remained until the end of the first half, and Real started the second half with a chance from Bale, who received the ball from Vinicius Junior, unleashing a powerful shot that was saved by Rulli with the help of the crossbar (56). Two minutes later, Rulli intervened to stop a shot from Vinicius Junior (58) and another from Bale, with the help of Argentine defender Juan Foyth who cleared the ball before it crossed the goal line (65).
Despite bringing in Jovic, Croatian Luka Modric, Brazilian Rodrigo, and then Belgian Eden Hazard and Nacho in the final minutes, Real could not find the net against Rulli, managing only a point without scoring for the second time this season against the "Yellow Submarine" and its coach Unai Emery, despite a golden chance at the death for Jovic, who tried to chip the ball over the goalkeeper, hitting the crossbar with Ivorian substitute Serge Aurier intervening to clear the ball off the goal line after Nacho's follow-up (90+2).
