Real Madrid, currently under increasing scrutiny, were tasked with trying to relieve some of the pressure with their second win against Levante today. Anything other than a 4-1 win over Deportivo Elves in the last game could indicate the point of boiling things down. The only bottleneck concerns in this expectation for this result. While the line-up was strong, the bench included four Casilla players and two goalkeepers – meaning some reinforcements would actually have to go beyond their experience if things went sour. The opposition listed former Castilla man Danny Gomez on the bench, although La Liga’s second top assistant Jorge de Frutos was not available for the return of Alfredo Di Stano.
Real Madrid really came forward for this game. The players were fluid with their position and the movement of the ball. No one shied away from responsibility. And more importantly, they seemed dangerous at the time. So in typical Real Madrid fashion, of course it had to turn sour. Ten minutes before the mark, Levante found themselves on goal, and Eder Milito was brought down and given a marching order in return. The ten-man Madrid then took the lead a few minutes later, as Asensio found himself in an acre of space on the counter and took the ball towards the goal, while taking his keeper before choosing his place. Madrid kept looking sharp, many players performed better than I saw from them, but Levante counted on their advantage by having a really nice time from the cross to the inside. The visitors then returned to the game and Curtis was asked to produce an excellent double save to maintain the score level until half time.
Cross with a dirty pass. Shades of Rui Costa -> Sheva vs Real Madrid 2003.
We don’t see Essencio – or anyone – often. Nice finish.
– Qian Sobhani (@ QianSo) January 30, 2021
The second half was still an open game, with Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio missing out on opportunities to look back at the hosts. Levante had a great chance to score again, as Vincius Jr. caught his man on the line in the area to concede a penalty. The resulting spot kick was well saved by Curtis, but they would still take the lead at a well-working corner just ten minutes ahead. Mariano and Sergio Aribas were thrown into the mixer, but had little effect. Their fresh feet look out of place with the fatigue and mindset of beginners. The game ended 2-1, with Levante taking all three points back home. Watch out later for player ratings, as well as the next post game podcast. What do you think about the game? And what does this mean for the season now?
