Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said his team had tasted some of their own medicine after Villarreal snatched a late 1-0 win in Tuesday's night's La Liga clash at the Estadio Vicente Calderon.
Villarreal goalkeeper Andres Fernandez was the game's stand-out player, saving from Antoine Griezmann, Saul Niguez, Angel Correa, Nico Gaitan and Jose Maria Gimenez as the home side dominated territory but could not find a way through.
With just eight minutes left the visitors hit the front on a rare attack when substitute Roberto Soriano bundled home a cross from fellow replacement Cedric Bakambu to stun the Calderon.
The Colchoneros coach told his post-match news conference that his side really should have taken at least one of the chances they created, while accepting that Villarreal's familiar plan had worked well.
"This is football," Simeone said. "We have won many times in this way. Today we lost, this is part of the sport. We played a good game and had plenty of chances, lots of pressure in their half. But today the ball did not want to go in, and neither were we accurate with the final pass.
"Villarreal also have a great team, they defended very well and we could not take the chances we made. And they took the chance they had very well."
In the race for third spot, Sevilla can now close level on points with Atletico should they win at home to Celta Vigo on Thursday evening.
"We have to wait on the results tomorrow, and not get too far ahead of ourselves," Simeone said. "We have four finals still to play, and whoever makes the more mistakes will suffer."
Atletico winger Yannick Carrasco hurt a shoulder soon after coming on as a second-half substitute, and was replaced himself soon afterwards by Fernando Torres.
The Belgium international went straight from the stadium to a hospital for tests, with a club statement confirming a "right collarbone injury" which makes him a doubt for next Tuesday's Champions League semifinal first leg at Real Madrid.
"We hope that [Carrasco] is out for the shortest time possible," Simeone said. "We will have to wait and see what the doctors say."