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When Real Madrid hosted Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, the Spanish giants had revenge on their minds. The home side had failed to win any of their last 2 games against Levante and last season, they had stuttered to a 1-2 defeat at home early in the season.
The Spanish Giants have not started the season too well, drawing 2 of their first 3 games. However o,n Saturday, Hazard was fit enough to make it to the bench, which was good news for Zidane.
Real Madrid Starting XI: Thibaut Courtois; Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, Dani Carvajal; Toni Kroos, Casemiro, James Rodriguez; Vinicius Junior, Karim Benzema, Lucas Vazquez
Real started the game brighter and even though Levante threatened on the odd occasions, the home side took the lead through Karim Benzema in the 25th minute. Six minutes later, the Frenchman had made it 2-0 for his team. Casemiro soon made it 3-0 and it looked like Real Madrid would add a couple more until the end of the game.
However, the away side scored early in the second half and then reduced the deficit further in the 75th minute. It made for a nervy end to the game, but the hosts held on and secured all three points. Here are 3 reasons why Real Madrid won the game
#3 Relentless Attack
Real Madrid started the game with an eagerness to attack. While they were a bit cautious during the initial stages, as the game got older, the players expressed themselves better and there was a fluidity in the movement of the ball. The Spanish giants rarely wasted time on the ball, preferring instead to pile the pressure on the away side by fast exchanges on the pitch and a direct brand of football.
Zidane's team used the wings well and switched play to the flanks with ease. They used the speed of the players in their ranks to unsettle the Levante backline. As the game went on Real found gaps within the away side and took advantage to score the first goal.
Even though Levante came dangerously close after the break, the damage had already been done in the first half. Real Madrid’s relentless attacking football in the first half ultimately helped them win the game.
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#2 Pressing Football
Right from the start of the game, Real Madrid showed an inclination to press the opposition. Zinedine Zidane’s boys played with conviction and had the desire to close down the opposition whenever they had the ball.
As a result, even though the away side looked comfortable in the first 10 minutes, they were gradually dominated all over the pitch. Levante could not match up to the home side’s tempo and looked uncertain with every passing minute.
Madrid’s work ethic in the first half was commendable. The home side fought for every ball and won the midfield battle with ease. Levante had no answer to their pressing football and looked helpless on quite a few occasions.
However, in the second half, a few tired legs meant that the away side was back into the game. Thankfully, Real’s brilliant pressing in the first half had already done the damage by then.
#1 Individual brilliance
In the end, it was a day of individual brilliance on the field. Vinicius Jr. was impressive with his quick feet and gave Levante a lot of trouble with his direct runs. He also switched flanks successfully and on one such occasion, it was his perfectly measured square back across goal that was turned in by Casemiro. The Brazilian himself was a dominating figure on the pitch, spraying the ball well and winning tackles to keep possession.
James Rodriguez also impressed with his late runs and his eye for a pass. He beautifully set up Karim Benzema to score Real’s second of the night. However, it was the Frenchman who was the most impressive player on the pitch.
Benzema opened the scoring with a perfectly measured header. It was a goal that gave Real the confidence and positivity they desperately needed on the pitch. The Frenchman then doubled the lead with another well-taken finish.
