At Santiago Bernabéu, Europe’s most successful club secured a win under new coach Álvaro Arbeloa.
“In my three decades of La Liga commentary, I’ve never seen anything like this, never seen a team welcomed like this before the match,” said the commentator. Yet, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior’s lackluster football initially cast a dull shadow over the Santiago Bernabéu atmosphere. Against Levante, however, Real Madrid turned things around in the second half. After two consecutive defeats across all competitions, the club returned to winning ways.
On Saturday, Real won the La Liga clash 2-0. Mbappé converted a successful penalty early in the second half to put the hosts ahead, and Raúl Asencio extended the lead with a brilliant header.
With 15 wins and three draws in 20 matches, Real Madrid now sit second with 48 points, just one behind leaders Barcelona, who have played one fewer game.
Real dominated possession for over 70% of the match, taking 26 shots, 11 of which were on target. In contrast, 19th-placed Levante failed to hit the target with any of their 10 shots.
Across all competitions, Levante nearly scored in the opening minute against Real, but Carl Etta’s shot missed the mark.
In the 14th minute, the visitors earned a free kick just outside the box. Pablo Martínez’s attempt was blocked by the wall, and his rebound shot went over the crossbar.
Despite their dominance, Real struggled to create clear chances against Levante’s compact defense, frustrating the fans. At one point, supporters started booing the players and even called for club president Florentino Pérez to step down.
In the 33rd minute, Mbappé had a great opportunity from Raúl Asencio’s lofted pass, with only the goalkeeper to beat, but the French forward, returning to the starting XI after nearly a month, failed to convert.
Six minutes later, Federico Valverde’s free kick led to Asencio’s shot, easily saved by goalkeeper Mathew Ryan—Real’s first shot on target of the match.
Levante earned another free kick in the 42nd minute, but Martínez’s effort narrowly missed the post.
The pace of Real’s attack improved in the second half after Arda Gil and Francko Mastantuño entered the field. In the 55th minute, Gil’s shot was saved by Ryan.
Three minutes later, Real Madrid took the lead when Mbappé converted a penalty after Adrián de la Fuente fouled him in the box. This marked Mbappé’s 19th goal of the season.
Once ahead, Real regained their rhythm. In the 65th minute, Asencio scored a brilliant header from Gil’s corner to double the lead.
Two minutes later, Mbappé missed a golden opportunity to make it 3-0. Receiving the ball from Mastantuño, he shot at the goalkeeper from close range but failed to score.
In the 76th minute, Mastantuño’s powerful shot struck the crossbar. Three minutes later, Vinícius attempted a close-range finish but was denied by the goalkeeper. Mastantuño was in an even better position, yet Real could not extend the margin despite the applause and frustration from the crowd.
Opportunities continued to come, but poor finishing and Levante’s resolute goalkeeper prevented Real from increasing their lead further.
