Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo Score, but Real Madrid Held by Villarreal

Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo were on point for Real Madrid on Saturday, but Los Blancos couldn't get past Villarreal in their final La Liga match. The score was 2-2.

The attacking duo both scored in the first half, making the most of their chances. The Yellow Submarine didn't offer a ton of resistance initially, but Roger Martinez did pull one back after the break and Samu Castillejo shocked the visitors in the final minutes.

Here are Saturday's key takeaways.

Liverpool, Champions League Favourites?

It seems almost absurd to suggest the back-to-back defending champions shouldn't be considered favourites for the UEFA Champions League, but based on form entering Saturday's contest, that may well be the case.

For the second time in three matches, the defence had a disastrous outing, leading to two second-half goals for an overmatched Villarreal side. Marcelo in particular was nowhere to be found for the second goal, raising more questions regarding his defensive struggles.

Things got worse for Los Blancos after the equaliser:

Liverpool already present something of a tactical mismatch for the Real we saw on Saturday―more on that below―and given Real's spotty form, the Reds should perhaps be looked at as favourites.

Real Need a Tactical Change for the Champions League Final

A quick glance at the scoresheet will tell you Bale and Ronaldo started up front together, and both scored in the first half. The Welshman's recent scoring form likely led to manager Zinedine Zidane to implement a formation that moved both more centrally, and Villarreal couldn't deal with it at first.

The Yellow Submarine had their chances, however, and found most of their success out on the wings, where Marcelo and Dani Carvajal had to put in a massive shift. For both of Villarreal's goals, a full-back was out of position.

Those two can usually hold their own against Villarreal, but a similar formation against Liverpool in the Champions League final would cause all kinds of trouble.

Between Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, the Reds have too much mobility and raw pace in attack for any formation that doesn't put more players on the wings. Zidane has to account for that, even if it means benching one of his form players―Isco or Bale―in favour of Karim Benzema, a traditional striker.

Poor Defending Overshadows Solid Luca Zidane Debut

Luca Zidane, the son of the Los Blancos coach, made his La Liga debut in goal in this final domestic outing of the season, and there were plenty of fans and pundits who questioned the decision.

The 20-year-old hasn't always looked convincing in the past few years, with the occasional blunder creeping into his game. Some noted he's not regarded as Real's top prospect in goal:

Zidane didn't have much to do in the first half but flashed his athletic prowess early in the second, beautifully keeping out a Nicola Sansone free-kick. There was nothing he could do about Martinez's goal, and Marcelo went to sleep on the equaliser, putting him in all kinds of trouble.

It's unfortunate for the youngster, who should have walked away from his debut match feeling good about his performance. Instead, all fans will see is Los Blancos gave up a two-goal lead, and those critics will not go silent.

La Liga Security Needs Some Work

As noted by Bleacher Report's Dean Jones, one fan got close to his favourite players before the start of the match:

The officials can't be expected to deal with such a situation, and one has to assume the members of the security team got into serious trouble over this.

What's Next

Villarreal's season is over, while Real face Liverpool next Saturday in the Champions League final.