Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Levante: Bernabeu Jeers Inspire Flawless Finish

The Spanish giants extended their La Liga winning streak to four matches.

Real Madrid got back to winning ways on Saturday. | Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images

Real Madrid secured the first win of the Álvaro Arbeloa era on Saturday afternoon, defeating Levante 2–0 in the manager’s first La Liga match on the touchline.

The game was anything but perfect for Los Blancos, who put together a shockingly poor first half. With deafening whistles practically shaking the Bernabéu, the team had little choice but to come out of the tunnel with a renewed purpose, led by a spectacular substitute performance from Arda Güler.

The midfielder kickstarted the play that won his side a penalty, one that Kylian Mbappé buried in the 58th minute. Güler’s elite service from the corner flag then was finished off by Raúl Asencio less than 10 minutes later.

The 2–0 win left plenty to be desired from Real Madrid, but the most important thing for the Spanish giants is that they returned to winning ways and collected a much-needed three points to keep the pressure on Barcelona atop the La Liga standings.

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Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Levante (4-3-3)

Kylian Mbappé bagged his 30th goal of the season. | Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—7.3: A relaxing afternoon for the Belgian. Did not have to make a single save.

RB: Federico Valverde—7.9: Once again looked more at home at right back than he has in the midfield. Made several darting runs forward to energize his team when it needed it most.

CB: Raúl Asencio—8.4: Arguably the best player in white. Defended well, created the only threatening chance in the first half and bagged a goal to seal all three points.

CB: Dean Huijsen—7.0: Lacked confidence. Treated the ball like a bomb, slicing it out of play several times despite being under zero pressure. Arbeloa saw enough after 61 minutes.

LB: Álvaro Carreras—7.8: Not one of his more memorable performances, but still a solid outing. Tidy in possession for 90 minutes—unlike his teammates—and completely locked down the left flank.

CM: Eduardo Camavinga—6.8: Deservedly did not see the pitch in the second half. Only passed sideways, lost every important duel and failed to link up with the attack. Likely just lost his place in the XI moving forward.

CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—7.7: Sat far too deep against a team that could barely touch the ball. Booked for a clumsy challenge that earned him a suspension for an all-important clash with Villarreal next weekend.

CM: Jude Bellingham—7.9: Mustered a disastrous first half, full of giveaways and sloppy fouls. Looked more himself after the restart and unlucky not to get on the scoresheet.

RW: Gonzalo García—6.2: Never going to have much of an impact on the right wing. Hooked at halftime, but not before the crowd chanted his name in appreciation of his tracking back.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—8.7: Up to 30 goals on the season. Never a doubt that he would find the back of the net, and showed great leadership when his side faltered. Real Madrid is without question his team.

LW: Vinicius Junior—7.7: Might as well have not been on the pitch in the first half, but created much more danger in the second. Still, never truly found himself in a position to score.

Substitute	Rating (Out of 10)
Franco Mastantuono (46’ for Gonzalo)	6.7
Arda Güler (46’ for Camavinga)	8.5
Dani Ceballos (61’ for Huijsen)	6.5
David Alaba (90’ for Asencio)	N/A

Subs not used: Fran González (GK), Sergio Mestre, Dani Carvajal, David Fran García, César Palacios, Álvaro Leiva.

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Levante (4-2-3-1)

Starting XI: Mathew Ryan; Jeremy Toljan, Adrián de la Fuente, Alan Matturro, Manu Sánchez; Unai Vencedor, Pablo Martínez; Kareem Tunde, Carlos Álvarez, Iván Romero; Etta Eyong.

Subs used: Iker Losada, Ugo Raghouber, Carlos Espí, Paco Cortés, Jon Ander Olasagasti.

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Player of the Match: Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)

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Real Madrid 2–0 Levante—How It Unfolded at the Bernabéu

Álvaro Arbeloa made his La Liga debut on the Bernabéu’s touchline. | Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images

After losing the Spanish Super Cup final and crashing out of the Copa del Rey in the round of 16, Real Madrid were serenaded by relentless whistles as soon as they came out to train prior to kick off. The home crowd only amplified their boos once the game got underway, especially whenever Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde or Jude Bellingham touched the ball.

An early goal or at least any positive signs going forward would have calmed the hostility radiating throughout the Bernabéu, but the hosts once again dominated possession with zero intent or penetration. Every pass was either sideways or backwards, and Levante comfortably settled into their low block without much effort.

By the time the match reached the half-hour mark, Los Blancos did not have a shot on target against a team with three league wins this season. The atmosphere turned worse and worse as the first half dragged on, and only Mbappé seemed to escape the supporters’ jeers.

The first clear goalscoring opportunity came in the 33rd minute, created not by Bellingham or Vinicius Jr or any other of the big names on the pitch, but by Raúl Asencio. The center back sent a brilliant ball over the top into the path of Mbappé, who was through on goal. The Frenchman elected to hit it on the volley, but pulled his shot wide.

Kylian Mbappé came close to getting Real Madrid on the scoresheet in the first half. | Burak Akbulut/Anadolu/Getty Images

There was not another decent chance to be had from Real Madrid before the referee sounded the halftime whistle, which was promptly followed by nearly 80,000 whistles from the fans in attendance.

The Spanish giants looked miles better after the restart with the additions of Güler and Franco Mastantuono. The two youngsters brought some much-needed intensity and creativity, and suddenly the team had life. The Türkiye international, especially, changed the game with his vision and tremendous left foot.

It only took 11 minutes for Güler to orchestrate the breakthrough for the hosts. The midfielder played a lovely through ball to unleash Mbappé, who was taken down inside the box by a clumsy challenge from Adrián de la Fuente. The Frenchman stepped up to the spot, sent the keeper the wrong way and calmly slotted home the game’s opener.

Güler was once again at the center of the action just past the hour-mark, when he whipped in a pinpoint ball from the corner flag. Asencio jumped higher than his marker and sent home a thunderous header to put his side up 2–0.

Raúl Asencio (left) scored his second goal of the season. | Diego Souto/Getty Images

Real Madrid were eager to find a third to truly make up for their dismal first half performance. Except a powerful shot from Mastantuono rattled off the crossbar in the 76th minute, and then Bellingham saw his diving header saved by Mathew Ryan just a few minutes later.

In the end, Arbeloa’s men settled for a 2–0 victory, a result that would have been widely accepted before the game started. With just how bad the first half went, though, there will still be plenty of questions looming over the club moving forward.

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Real Madrid vs. Levante Halftime Stats

Statistic	Real Madrid	Levante
Possession	70%	30%
Expected Goals (xG)	0.29	0.63
Total Shots	6	8
Shots on Target	1	0
Big Chances	0	0
Pass Accuracy	92%	78%
Fouls	6	10
Corners	2	0

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Real Madrid vs. Levante Full Time Statistics

Statistic	Real Madrid	Levante
Possession	70%	30%
Expected Goals (xG)	2.61	0.80
Total Shots	26	10
Shots on Target	11	0
Big Chances	3	0
Pass Accuracy	92%	77%
Fouls	12	14
Corners	8	0

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