MADRID, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) --- Real Madrid's problems got deeper on Saturday when Zinedine Zidane's side were beaten 1-0 at home to Villarreal.
It is the first time in 18 attempts that Villarreal have won away to Real Madrid and the side from the east coast move to within one point of Madrid in the Liga Santander table.
On a wet afternoon in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, Real Madrid had chances to take the points, but in the first half they were especially denied by a magnificent display from visiting goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo, who stopped everything Madrid could throw at him.
Cristiano Ronaldo was guilty of some poor finishing as well as his disappointing season continues and the Portuguese striker still has just four league goals all campaign.
Villarreal won the game with under four minutes remaining. A Real Madrid corner was cleared and the visitors launched a counter attack and although Keylor Navas was able to save from Enes Unal, Pablo Fornals was in the right place to beat Navas with a chip which hung agonizingly over the keeper before nestling in the net.
Madrid had hardly any time to react and Zidane had to listen to boos and whistles as his side left the pitch after failing to win at home for the eighth time this campaign.
Kenyan striker Michael Olunga was the hero as Girona crushed bottom of the table, Las Palmas 6-0 in Saturday's opening game.
Girona were leading 1-0 thanks to a Christian Stauni's penalty when the young striker replaced the Uruguayan at the start of the second half. He then destroyed a weak Las Palmas with a 35-minute hat-trick and an assist for Portu to score Girona's firth of the game. Borja Garcia netted the other goal for Girona who ended the first half of the campaign with 26 points.
Friday saw Getafe beat Malaga 1-0, a result which cost Malaga coach Michel Gonzalez his job as he was sacked on Saturday morning.
