Immediate reaction: Real Madrid 1-2 Levante

An increasingly exhausted Real Madrid, currently under intense scrutiny, have been tasked with trying to take some of the pressure off with another win over Levante today. Anything other than the resounding 4-1 win over Deportivo Alavés in the last game could have tipped things past boiling point. This result simply bottled the concerns in anticipation of this montage. While the roster was solid, the bench included four Castilla players and two goalkeepers – meaning some of the reinforcements might have to really outgrow their experience if things go wrong. The opposition put former Castilla Dani Gómez on the bench but La Liga second-best assistant Jorge De Frutos was not available for a return to Alfredo Di Stéfano.

Real Madrid showed up for this game. The players were fluid with their positioning and movement off the ball. No one shied away from responsibility. And above all, they sometimes seemed dangerous. So in typical Real Madrid fashion, of course, it must have turned sour. Levante found himself on goal before ten minutes, and Eder Militão lowered the striker and in return received his marching orders. Ten-man Madrid then took the lead a few minutes later, as Asensio found himself in acres of counter space, carrying the ball towards goal before choosing his spot in front of the keeper. Madrid continued to look sharp, with a lot of players performing better than I had seen them in a while, but Levante managed to assert their advantage with a very nice first time in the box after a center. The visitors then resumed play and Courtois was called upon to make an excellent double stop to maintain the scores at half-time.