Better from Real Madrid as Gareth Bale heads a Marcelo cross over the bar from about 12 yards out.

Villarreal desperately unlucky not to take the lead. Cedric Bakambu goes on a great dribble, running at Real's defence, who look panicked. He squares it to Jonathan dos Santos, who smashes the ball off the post from outside the box. Keylor Navas had no chance.

Decent start from Villarreal - they've done most of the attacking in the opening two minutes.

Gareth Bale is playing centrally for Real Madrid.

Image source, AP

We are under way at El Madrigal.

Image source, Reuters

Atletico Madrid have gone level on points with Barcelona at the top thanks to a 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao this evening.

Antoine Griezmann scored the winner with an excellent 20-yard shot midway through the second half.

Our main game tonight will be fifth-placed Villarreal v Real Madrid, who can go within two points of top with victory tonight.

But we will also bring you updates from Juventus v Fiorentina in Serie A. Champions Juve are nine points off leaders Inter Milan. Second-placed Fiorentina can close the gap to one point.

We'll also bring you the latest from Paris St-Germain's procession towards the title as they face sixth-placed Lyon.

The French champions will go 17 (SEVENTEEN) points clear of the brilliantly named Angers if they win.

Can Real Madrid win the title - or are they just a few weeks away from their next crisis?

Is Rafael Benitez good enough for the Spanish giants?

Let us know your thoughts on #bbceurofooty.

PSG: Trapp, Aurier, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Maxwell, Rabiot, Motta, Matuidi, Di Maria, Ibrahimovic, Cavani.  

Lyon: Lopes, Rafael, Y Mapou, Morel, Bedimo, Gonalons, Ferri, Tolisso, Cornet, Grenier, Beauvue.  

Juventus: Buffon, Chiellini, Khedira, Marchisio, Pogba, Barzagli, Cuadrado, Mandzukic, Bonucci, Dybala, Evra.

Fiorentina: Tatarusanu, Tomovic, Rodriguez, Alonso, Astori, Badelj, B Valero, Vecino, Bernardeschi, Ilicic, Kalinic.  

The big three, plus James Rodriguez (the big four?) start in Real Madrid's attacking positions.

Spurs legend Roberto Soldado is up front for Villarreal.

Real Madrid: Navas, Danilo, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo, Casemiro, Modric, Bale, Rodríguez, Ronaldo, Benzema.

Villarreal: Areola, Musacchio, Bailly, Víctor Ruiz, Costa, Trigueros, Bruno Soriano, Dos Santos, Denis, Bakambu, Soldado.

But despite that cup woe, Real Madrid come into this game on a high after thrashing Malmo 8-0 in the Champions League, a joint record scoreline.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored four times to become the first player to ever reach double figures in the group stage - with 11 in six.

Image source, Getty Images

Real Madrid were thrown out of the Copa del Rey after playing Denis Cheryshev in their 3-1 last-32 first-leg win over Cadiz. 

The Russian was suspended from a loan spell at Villarreal (tonight's opponents incidentally).

The Spanish FA kicked them out of the cup and then rejected their appeal. Real then brought it to a court, who are still considering the appeal but refused the club's request to delay the sentence - which would basically have meant they could play Wednesday's second leg.

That game is now off.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, #bbceurofooty

Real Madrid's world appeared to be caving in around them less than a month ago when a 4-0 El Clasico defeat by Barcelona saw them drop to six points off top.

But since then they have won all five games, scoring 21 goals in the process*. Beat Villarreal today and they will be two points off Barca - and could even be top by Christmas with the Catalans off at the Club World Cup.

*Admittedly one of those wins probably doesn't count as they were kicked out of the Copa del Rey.

That's it from us for a couple of hours. We will be back at 19:00 GMT in this same page for Villarreal v Real Madrid (19:30) with updates from Fiorentina v Juventus, and PSG v Lyon. 

Valencia somehow managed a 1-1 draw despite not having a single shot on target. Eibar dominated in all aspects (except goals) and also missed a penalty - albeit one they did not deserve to get.

Image source, .

Paco Alcacer puts the free-kick wide. And the referee blows the whistle immediately. It ends 1-1.

Valencia striker Paco Alcacer is through on goal and he's brought down by Eibar defender Ivan Ramis, who is sent off.

Textbook taking one for the team there. He had to commit the foul or else Valencia would have won the game.

It's 10 v 10.