Real Madrid: Zinedine Zidane's side misses chance to set new La Liga record

Real Madrid missed the chance to set a new La Liga record of 17 consecutive league wins after drawing with Villarreal.

Zinedine Zidane's men had equaled the previous best of 16, set by Barcelona, in their previous match against Espanyol, but a 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu Wednesday put an end to its hopes of extending that run.

The draw puts Real two points clear of Sevilla at the top of La Liga, after Barcelona drew with Atletico Madrid at the Nou Camp to remain three points behind.

"We did not start the game well," Zidane told Real Madrid TV. "The second half we had many chances, but you cannot always win in the last minute.

"More work is needed at the beginning of the game. It's a shame not to break the record.

"I want a draw (between Barcelona and Atletico), so we will all stay same. But really I'm not worried about that result, just my team."

While Real has become synonymous with individual Galacticos over the years, coach Zinedine Zidane has demanded a collective team effort, ordering his players to "run more" in the wake of a defeat to its Madrid rival Atletico -- the last match before the 16-game streak began.

Attacking flair has often been quelled with the Frenchman favoring a more pragmatic approach, as the hard-working defensive midfielder Casemiro has provided balance to a sometimes top-heavy team.

This new work ethic was evident in the opening 45 minutes against Villarreal. The visiting team, understandably, adopted a reserved approach with unwavering commitment to its defensive duties.

But Real matched its opponents stride for stride.

The home side, unsurprisingly, started the match on the front foot, bombarding the Villarreal defense with corner after corner, but the 'Yellow Submarine' stood firm to ride out the wave of early pressure.

The game's first real chance came just shy of the 20-minute mark. Marcelo's deep cross into the box was headed back across goal by Gareth Bale, but keeper Sergio Asenjo was on hand to acrobatically deny Karim Benzema.

Just under 10 minutes later, Villarreal had its first sight of goal. Forward Denis Cheryshev latched onto the end of a deft flick from Samu Castillejo, before firing towards the top corner, only to find the outstretched palm of Kiko Casilla in his way.