#4 Levante came hard at Real Madrid after the break
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Real Madrid CF v Levante UD - La Liga
Toni Kroos, Casemiro and James Rodriguez had the game under control in the first half as they were creating ample of chances, were press resistant, and were getting out of tight spaces with ease. But Paco Lopez' men came hard at Zidane's side in the second half.
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The visitors found space behind Carvajal to find their opener which was slotted in by Real Madrid loanee Borja Mayoral in the 49th minute. Madrid found it hard to push the Granotas behind as they kept coming at them. With Casemiro coming off for Eden Hazard, the Los Blancos lost some balance as Levante eased their way in the midfield.
Lopez' men were rewarded with their second of the game as Carvajal was unable to deal with a cross from a set-piece which was headed in by Gonzalo Melero. Real's defence is still in shambles as they could have easily given a 3 goal lead away if not for Thibaut Courtois' fantastic 91st minute save to deny the visitors. The game went down to the wire and the Belgian stood tall in the dying minutes to clinch all 3 points for his side.
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About the author
Samyak Tripathi
Samyak is a European and international football journalist at Sportskeeda, who focuses on writing a variety of listicles. A post-graduate in Finance with over 6 years of total work experience, Samyak became interested in football after watching the 2010 FIFA World Cup and some high-octane El Clasico clashes. His favorite footballer is Cristiano Ronaldo for the forward's mentality, and his favorite managers are Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, and Pep Guardiola for the brand of football their teams showcase.
Samyak only follows top tier and verified fan club social media accounts for sourcing information for his articles. One of his core strengths is crafting crisp and concise articles to avoid any and all potential confusion for readers. These shrewd methods have helped him attain strong readership on his articles, one of them even being read half a million times!
Zinedine Zidane's Panenka penalty in the 2006 final is Samyak’s favorite World Cup moment owing to the Frenchman’s sheer nerves of steel showcased, and thinks Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are ready to usher in a new era post-Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. During his free time, Samyak follows Real Madrid, plays football and reads finance articles.