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Levante and Real Madrid shared the spoils in a thrilling six-goal thriller at the Estadio Ciutat Valencia on Sunday evening.
The visitors came into the game looking to capitalize on Barcelona's draw with Athletic Bilbao on Saturday. They then got off to the perfect start when Gareth Bale put them ahead inside four minutes.
David Alaba's perfectly weighted ball put Karim Benzema into space down the left channel, with the Frenchman finding Bale inside the box to give Real Madrid an early lead.
This was Bale's first La Liga goal since November 2019. although there was a brief VAR check for offside before it was given.
The entire first half was one-way traffic, with Real Madrid asking all the questions in a totally dominant half.
Levante, however, got the second half off to the perfect start when they drew level almost straight from kickoff.
An intricate team move saw the hosts practically walk through the Real Madrid defense, leaving Roger Marti to slot past an exposed Thibaut Courtois.
Their lead was doubled in the 57th minute through an exquisite volley into the top corner from Jose Campana. The 28-year-old connected with Jorge de Frutos' excellent cross into the box to score a goal for the ages and leave the Real Madrid goalkeeper with no chance.
The action-packed second half still had a lot in store for viewers, and Vinicius Junior stepped off the bench to draw his side level with a pristine finish from an acute angle in the 73rd minute.
Rober Pier put Levante ahead again six minutes later after some hesitation in the Real Madrid defense. Both sides fashioned good chances and the hosts even hit the left post when Real pushed forward in search of an equalizer.
However, Vinicius' second goal of the night in the 85th minute ensured that the game ended all square which was probably the right result on the overall balance of play.
There was still time for Levante goalkeeper Aitor Fernandes to get sent off after denying Real Madrid a goalscoring opportunity by handling the ball outside his area.
Here is how each Real Madrid player fared in the highly entertaining fixture.
Real Madrid player ratings against Levante
Thibaut Courtois - 5/10
Thibaut Courtois faced just four shots on target all night but ended up conceding three goals. This was through no fault of his, as he was powerless to stop any of the well-taken goals.
David Alaba - 6/10
David Alaba had several positive moments in attack and played a key role in Real Madrid's opening goal. He, however, struggled on occasion defensively.
Eder Militao - 5.5/10
Real Madrid's defense was sliced open at will by Levante and this was far from a convincing performance from the Brazil international. He was shown a yellow card in the 58th minute for dissent.
Nacho - 5.5/10
Nacho made three clearances and one interception but also failed to impose himself as Real Madrid faced wave after wave of attack in the second half.
Lucas Vazquez - 5/10
Lucas Vazquez did not shine at either end of the field before he was replaced by Dani Carvajal in the 65th minute.
Isco - 7/10
Isco gave one of his best performances in a Real Madrid shirt in a while and was the major reason why Los Blancos thoroughly dominated the first half. The 29-year-old led the way in dribbles, fouls won and passes completed in the first half before his replacement in the 58th minute.
Casemiro - 6.5/10
Casemiro was not at his dominant best in shielding the defense and this played a key role in why Levante had a field day at the Real Madrid defense. The Brazilian, however, showed his underrated technical ability with a pin-point 50-yard through pass for Vinicius to score his first goal.
Federico Valverde - 6/10
The Uruguay international made two interceptions and had three shots off target before departing the field for Luka Jovic in the 87th minute.
Eden Hazard - 6.5/10
Eden Hazard is still some way off his best but still showed glimpses of his brilliance against Levante. The Belgium international created two chances for his teammates before being replaced by Vinicius Junior in the 59th minute.
Karim Benzema - 7/10
It was a relatively quiet day judging by the Frenchman's high standards. Nevertheless, he still made his mark by providing the assist for Real Madrid's first and third goals.
Gareth Bale - 7/10
Gareth Bale scored his first La Liga goal in almost two years but that was as good as it got for the former Tottenham man before being taken off for Rodrygo near the hour-mark.
Substitutes
Vinicius Junior - 9/10
Vinicius Junior came off the bench and turned the game on its head. His first goal was a thing of pure class and he also showed great composure for the late equalizer in the 85th minute. His energetic run forward saw Levante reduced to 10 men after their goalkeeper was sent off.
Marco Asensio - 6/10
Marco Asensio replaced Isco as part of a trio of changes in the 58th minute. The 25-year-old ended the game with a passing accuracy of 85.7%.
Rodrygo - 5.5/10
Rodrygo showed determination when he came off the bench but he was not as effective as some other substitutes. He received a yellow card in injury time for dissent.
Dani Carvajal - 7.5/10
Dani Carvajal came off the bench with 25 minutes to go and instantly showed Real Madrid what they were missing down the right flank. The Spain international put in several precise crosses that were not utilized and also played a role in Real Madrid's second goal.
Luka Jovic - 6/10
Luka Jovic came on with only three minutes to go but still managed to fashion two shots, with one forcing a save from substitute goalkeeper Dani Cardenas.
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