Real Madrid paid for the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and a series of missed chances by Gareth Bale as they were held 1-1 at home by Levante.
A slow start by a much-changed Real team was punished when Ivi Lopez fired newly-promoted Levante into a shock lead after just 12 minutes.
Real responded thanks to Lucas Vazquez’s equaliser before half-time, but failed to break Levante’s resistance despite incessant pressure as Bale, Marcelo and Toni Kroos came close in the second-half.
Here are three things learned from the draw…
When the season started, Real Madrid were reigning Spanish and Champions League champions and had just convincingly beaten Barcelona and Manchester United in Super Cups. They looked unstoppable.
But football, as the saying goes, is a funny old game, and just a short while later they have been plunged into a mini-crisis after failing to win either of their first two home league games for the first time in 22 years.
Manager Zinedine Zidane certainly won’t be losing his head and will no doubt recall that his team endured a similar run around about the same time last year, drawing three consecutive games against Villarreal, Las Palmas and Eibar. They can recover now like they did then.
Their stuttering start to the season, however, serves a reminder that nothing comes easily in a hugely competitive league such as La Liga, and that even lesser lights such as Levante are more than capable of dishing out upsets if things go their way.
Real Madrid are by no means finished, but they have been given a wake-up call – loud and clear.
71 – Real Madrid have scored in their last 71 games in all comps, the longest scoring streak ever in the Top 5 European Leagues. Infallible. pic.twitter.com/kCqVQv3hOZ
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) September 9, 2017
In an otherwise logical and well-planned summer transfer window, Madrid took a major risk by selling Alvaro Morata to Chelsea and not signing a replacement.
The danger was exacerbated with the knowledge that Cristiano Ronaldo now regularly sits out games as part of Zinedine Zidane’s rotation policy, and an earlier than expected test of the decision came courtesy of Ronaldo’s Spanish Super Cup red card, forcing him to miss the first four league games.
Without him, Madrid have only two choices for the centre forward role, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema, and both are desperately struggling for form right now.
Benzema started against Levante but was soon forced off with a thigh injury, leaving Bale to step off the bench and lead the line in an unaccustomed centre forward role. The Welshman was very poor, struggling to make much impact in his team’s build-up play and missing three glorious chances to score.
It’s easy to say with the benefit of hindsight that Madrid should have signed a centre forward this summer and that they would have won against Levante if Morata had been playing. But it’s also true.
Not a good in the office for Gareth Bale
Madrid’s frustration was encapsulated in an explosive outburst towards the end of the game when Marcelo unleashed a shot (which was well saved) and then tangled in an ugly fashion with Levante midfielder Lerma, kicking his opponent viciously.
It was a moment of madness from Marcelo, who was rightly shown a straight red card and now faces a suspension of at least two games – the same length of ban received by Isco for a similar incident in El Clasico a couple of years ago.
Marcelo’s absence will probably mean an extended opportunity for Theo Hernandez, the club’s summer recruit from Atletico Madrid who dazzled on loan with Alaves last season.
Playing alongside Marcelo on the left flank, Theo endured a mixed full league debut against Levante, showcasing his impressive physical talents with a number of powerful runs but generally letting himself down with poor final delivery. He must do better in the coming weeks.
Theo Hernandez
