Real Madrid drew 1-1 with Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Cristiano Ronaldo's second-half penalty looked to have set Madrid on their way to victory.
But Villarreal, who impressed for long stretches of the game and whose goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo was outstanding, got their reward with Gerard Moreno's equaliser.
Real are now two points ahead of Barcelona at the top of the table.
Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said: "In the first 45 minutes, the tempo was too low. We hardly had any chances, only via crosses because the ball circulation was too slow. In the second half, the tempo changed but we weren't clinical up front, although we did have chances."
"After this draw we're not satisfied, obviously, because it's the first time we've drawn. It wasn't impotence, because we created a lot of openings; we were unlucky, but we played a good second half."