Real Madrid succeeded in regaining its lost balance and overcoming its recent crisis, achieving an important moral and technical victory over its guest Levante by two clean goals, in the match that was held at the “Santiago Bernabeu” stadium on Saturday evening, as part of the competitions of the twentieth round of the Spanish Football League “La Liga”.
A 7-minute comeback decides the match
After a tense and uncertain first half, Real Madrid finally broke through Levante's defense in the second half. The breakthrough came in the 58th minute when French star Kylian Mbappé expertly converted a penalty, giving Real Madrid the lead and easing the nerves in the Bernabéu stands.
Real Madrid gave their visitors no time to catch their breath. Just seven minutes later, in the 65th minute, they doubled their lead. The goal came from a perfectly placed header by Asensio, who capitalized on a corner kick expertly delivered by the young talent Arda Güler, sealing the victory for the home side and securing all three points.
Stormy week in Madrid
This match takes on special significance as it comes in the wake of one of the most difficult periods Real Madrid has experienced this season. The team entered the game burdened by the wounds of a "black week," which began with a painful 3-2 defeat in El Clásico against arch-rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, a title the team had hoped would boost morale.
The misfortunes didn't end there; a further blow came with the departure of coach Xabi Alonso and the appointment of Álvaro Arbeloa. However, Arbeloa's tenure began with a shocking and humiliating exit from the Copa del Rey after a 3-2 defeat to Albacete, a second-division club, making a win against Levante absolutely crucial to avoid a downward spiral.
Public anger and messages to Perez
The atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabéu was far from celebratory at first, with Real Madrid fans clearly expressing their discontent. The stands greeted the players with loud boos from the opening whistle, reflecting their dissatisfaction with the performance and disastrous results of the previous week. The angry chants were also directed at club president Florentino Pérez, a clear indication that the board bears some responsibility for the recent slump.
The battle for the top spot heats up
With this valuable victory, Real Madrid increased their points tally to 48, strengthening their hold on second place in the Spanish league standings and narrowing the gap to just one point behind leaders Barcelona. This win puts significant pressure on the Catalan club, who face a tough match tomorrow, Sunday, against Real Sociedad in the same round.
On the other hand, Levante's situation worsened as their tally remained frozen at 14 points, sitting in nineteenth place (second to last), after suffering their eleventh defeat this season, making them one of the most prominent teams threatened with relegation if they do not improve their situation in the upcoming rounds.
