Real Madrid Held to Draw vs. Santi Cazorla, Villarreal; Gareth Bale Injured

Santi Cazorla scored twice to help Villarreal hold Real Madrid to a 2-2 draw in La Liga on Thursday. Karim Benzema and Raphael Varane had given Real a 2-1 first-half lead after Cazorla opened the scoring.

Real withdrew Gareth Bale at the break amid an injury concern, and Cazorla punished the visitors with the equaliser eight minutes from full-time.

The stalemate at El Madrigal leaves Real seven points behind bitter rivals and leaders Barcelona in the title race. A point is welcome for Villarreal, who move out of the bottom three and above Athletic Bilbao.

Real Must Move on From Injury-Plagued Bale

Real selling Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus in the summer should have been Bale's cue to finally seize the spotlight in the Spanish capital. Yet the player who cost Los Blancos a then-world record fee back in 2013 continues to spend more time nursing injuries than showing his talents on the pitch.

Bale was subbed at the break against the Yellow Submarine. He had gone down seven minutes before the end of the half, appearing to favour both his calf and hamstring.

Although Bale made it through to the break, he was soon swapped out for Isco:

Leaving games at the halfway stage has become an annoying and unfortunate habit for the gifted Wales international:

Numbers like those mean Real aren't getting a worthy return from their supposed star player. What's more frustrating is Bale's talents are considerable when he's fit.

He possesses the pace, shooting power and aerial capabilities to boss any defence in Europe. Santiago Solari has been looking for ways to better unleash those skills more consistently.

He tried Bale in a central role against the Yellow Submarine, giving the 29-year-old freedom to drift all across the final third. While the results of the tactical ploy were mixed, Solari will rue Bale's latest setback as another stall on his plans for the most dynamic attacker in the squad.

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Real would be better served moving on from Bale at the end of the season. Selling him on to raise funds for a more durable match-winning forward who can fill the Ronaldo-shaped hole up top makes the most sense for both club and player.

Samuel Chukwueze Is Ready for a Bigger Club

Samuel Chukwueze surely won't have to wait long for bigger clubs to come calling after his star turn on Thursday. The Nigerian winger proved he's ready for a grander stage by tying the star-studded visitors in knots and showing a creative eye to supplement his trickery.

His efforts will likely have pleased Atletico Madrid, even though Chukwueze recently told AOIFootball (h/t Greg Johnson of Football.London): "Yes, I can confirm to you that there are a few interests from some top English clubs, but on the reports on Atletico Madrid, I'm not really sure about that."

The reference to "top English clubs" could have Arsenal ruing missed opportunities from the past. Johnson listed the Gunners as one club who had been previously linked.

Chukwueze will have left Arsenal supports wondering what might have been:

He created Cazorla's opener after four minutes and also went close to scoring himself on more than one occasion. Chukwueze tested Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois with shots after being played in by Cazorla and Karl Toko Ekambi.

Neither left-back Marcelo nor centre-back Sergio Ramos could cope with Chukwueze's direct running, perceptive movement and quick feet. Those traits are sure to make the 19-year-old a hit at a bigger club in the near future.

What's Next?

Los Blancos host Real Sociedad on Sunday, the same day Villarreal will be at Eibar.