Roberto Soldado has earned Villarreal a 1-0 lead over Real Madrid at the halfway stage of their La Liga clash.

Rafael Benitez's men were given an early warning from the hosts when Cedric Bakambu beat three challenges on a run forward before finding Jonathan dos Santos, who rattled the post with his powerful strike.

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It did not take much longer for Villarreal to find the opening goal as Luka Modric hesitated in possession, which allowed Bruno to find Bakambu and the move was finished off impressively as Soldado slotted the ball through the legs of Keylor Navas.

Villarreal, and in particular Bakambu, continued to cause problems for the visitors, but it was Real who created the next clear chance when Karim Benzema sent a half-volley over after being found by Gareth Bale.

Pepe was struggling to handle the pace and power of Bakambu, who sprinted clear of the centre-back before dragging a shot wide with only Navas to beat.