The Yellow Submarine strikes again: Villarreal sinks Real Madrid to new depths

On Sunday, for the first time since he joined Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo failed to score at Estadio El Madrigal in a La Liga fixture.

That, however, was the least of Los Blancos' worries.

Having failed to sign a 'keeper in comical fashion, experienced a thrashing in El Clasico, and been kicked out of the Copa del Rey for fielding an ineligible player, Real Madrid's train wreck of a season hit a new low at Villarreal as the club from Spain's capital was defeated 1-0 by the Yellow Submarine.

The match's lone goal came in its early moments, as Roberto Soldado, who left the Santiago Bernabeu over seven years ago, found the back of the net against his former club in the eighth minute, slotting home a pass from his partner in crime, Cedric Bakambu.

It could have been a different story had Real Madrid not been as blind as a bat in front of goal, hitting the target with only one of its 20 shots. At a club where patience is virtually non-existent, however, there will no appreciation for just how many chances Rafa Benitez's side created.

With the win, Villarreal moves to fifth in La Liga, only three points back of Real Madrid and eight points off the top of the table.