5 Key Games That Cost Real Madrid Their Shot at Liga Glory

This has not been a good year for Real Madrid. Compared to the glory of last season, when they lifted the Champions League and Copa del Rey, it has been a failure.

Winning just one league title in seven years is not good enough for a team of Los Blancos' stature. The fallout might mean that manager Carlo Ancelotti loses his job.

Here are five games this season which cost Real Madrid the title, based on their importance in terms of points, timing in the season and impact on the squad and their mentality.

Athletic Bilbao 1-0 Real Madrid (March 7, 2015)

Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

Barcelona usurped Real Madrid at the top of the table after they fell at the new San Mames, thanks to an Aritz Aduriz first-half header.

Gareth Bale cracked a shot against the post from 50 yards, but try as they might, Madrid could not find the net.

Cristiano Ronaldo had an abysmal game and was not able to forge even a single shot on target.

It was the same scene where they struggled last season, when Ronaldo was sent off for a headbutt on Carlos Gurpegui.

To make matters worse, Barcelona had played at the same stadium a couple of weeks earlier and battered five past the Bilbao side.

Atletico Madrid 4-0 Real Madrid (February 7, 2015)

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

This game was an embarrassment for Carlo Ancelotti and his men.

Although in the end, Madrid got revenge on Atletico by knocking them out of the Champions League, this game took place during a run of games in which they couldn't beat their city rivals, eventually stretching to seven.

Madrid had to field a makeshift defence, with Marcelo suspended, Sergio Ramos and Pepe injured.

They paid the price, with Tiago, Saul Niguez, Antoine Griezmann and Mario Mandzukic all netting.

Further damage was done in the evening when Cristiano Ronaldo threw his 30th birthday party. People got upset, given the performance he and his team-mates had turned in earlier in the day.

Valencia 0-1 Barcelona (Nov 30, 2014)

Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images

This game summed up how Barcelona fought through large swathes of the season. Getting the points by hook or by crook.

This was no beautiful display of football. It was a tough, sweaty victory at the Mestalla, which took a last-minute winner from the most unlikely source.

Just when it looked like Barcelona were going to drop two points, defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets cropped up with a goal in stoppage time.

Luis Enrique had played both Sergio Busquets and Javier Mascherano in midfield, showing he was wary of the hosts.

But in the end, despite being criticised for his defensive approach, Busquets made the difference and earned his side a barely deserved three points.

Valencia 2-1 Real Madrid (January 4, 2015)

Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images

By contrast, the Mestalla turned out to be hugely influential in Real Madrid's downfall.

Before playing here, they had won an amazing 22 games in a row.

Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring with a penalty, his 33rd goal of the season, but in a whirlwind second half, Valencia struck back.

Antonio Barragan fired home with the help of a deflection before Nicolas Otamendi headed home the winner from a corner.

The impact on the league was not as big as it might have been, with Barcelona losing to Real Sociedad later in the day.

However, that defeat seemed to galvanise the Catalans, while this loss upset Madrid's apple cart, with a Copa del Rey beating by Atletico following this.

Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid (March 22, 2015)

David Ramos/Getty Images

Games don't come bigger than the Clasico, and this game almost sealed the title race there and then.

Madrid could and perhaps should have won. Barcelona started and finished the game stronger, but for 45 minutes in between, Los Blancos had the bit between their teeth.

Jeremy Mathieu opened the scoring with a header, but Cristiano Ronaldo struck back after half-an-hour.

After that, it was all Madrid and they should have punished Barcelona.

But a long ball from Dani Alves found Luis Suarez and the Uruguayan made no mistake, scoring a beautiful goal which ended up being the winner.

It gave Barcelona a four point lead, which won them the title.