Real Madrid 2 - 0 Levante - Real close the gap

Posted Saturday, February 19, 2011 by PA

Real Madrid provisionally cut Barcelona's lead at the top of the Primera Division table to two points after comfortably seeing off Levante 2-0 at a rain-drenched Bernabeu.

First-half goals from Karim Benzema and Ricardo Carvalho decided the game as Jose Mourinho's men kept the pressure up on pacesetters Barca, who host Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

The victory was Madrid's 22nd successive home win in all competitions and marked nine years since Mourinho last suffered a home defeat in the league, which came on February 23, 2002, when his Porto team lost to Beira Mar.

Levante came into the match as the most in-form team in the division with three successive victories behind them, but having been thumped 8-0 on their last visit to the Bernabeu in the Copa del Rey just before Christmas.

And the Valencia-based side must have feared a repeat of that mauling as they found themselves behind with just six minutes on the clock.

Angel Di Maria was the architect of the goal with a brilliant run that saw him beat three players on the edge of the box before sliding a low cross in for Benzema to slot into the gaping net.

That was Benzema's third league goal of the season and justified Mourinho's decision to start with the Frenchman ahead of the European trip to his former club Lyon.

Benzema, who scored a hat-trick in that 8-0 win, was selected up front ahead of Emmanuel Adebayor, who had started the last two matches and also scored on his previous two appearances at the Bernabeu following his loan move from Manchester City.

Benzema's strike looked set to open the floodgates as Madrid set up camp in the Levante half, but chances came and went with Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo firing wide and Levante goalkeeper Gustavo Munua doing superbly to deny Di Maria and Benzema.

It was beginning to look as though Madrid would have to settle for just their one-goal advantage at the break, but Carvalho popped up in the 42nd minute to double their lead.

Ronaldo drilled in a free-kick from near the goalline and the unmarked Carvalho turned the ball in from just a yard out, a strike that saw the centre-back join Benzema on three league goals for the season.

The second half saw Madrid push for further goals, but Munua managed to ensure the home side did not record a similar scoreline to that cup encounter.

He denied Sami Khedira before producing excellent saves in quick succession to tip over efforts from Ronaldo and Benzema.

Ronaldo, looking to add to his 24 league goals this season, then brought two more good stops out of Munua as Madrid continued to create openings.

Madrid substitute Mesut Ozil then almost scored a wonder goal in injury-time following a mazy dribble, but Munua saved that as well as the home side had to settle for just the two first-half goals.