Real Madrid did what they were supposed to do against Levante on Saturday, hammering the struggling club 5-0 behind a brace from Cristiano Ronaldo.
3 things we learned from Real Madrid’s 5-0 thumping of Levante
Cristiano Ronaldo was on target twice as Los Blancos rolled over Levante.
Manuel Queimadelos Alonso
It took just 13 minutes for Real Madrid to take the lead after Juanfran brought down Javier Hernández on the right side of the penalty box. Despite vehement protest from the Levante players, the referee stood by his decision -- which looked correct based on replays -- and Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up to the spot. Goalkeeper Diego Marino went the right way, but there was simply too much power in Ronaldo's shot for him to stop it, and Los Blancos took a 1-0 lead.
Levante's response was strong and in the 26th minute they nearly equalized when Hector Rodas met a corner kick and sent a powerful header on frame. Marcelo was the man of the moment, though, clearing the shot off the line at the last second to preserve Madrid's lead.
Chicharito doubled Madrid’s advantage in the 38th minute, one-touching a great pass from James Rodríguez past Marino from inside the penalty spot.
Marino kept Levante in the match, preventing Madrid from running up the score despite several good chances in the first 15 minutes of the second half. The third goal would come, though -- it was inevitable really -- and in the 61st minute, Ronaldo sliced through the Levante defense, cutting past a defender in the box and putting a low shot past Marino to make it 3-0.
The floodgates were open at that point and it didn’t take long for the fourth goal, as Rodríguez put one in the back of the net in 66th minute. Isco added a fifth -- his first goal since April -- in the 82nd minute with a curling striker from the edge of the penalty box.
Levante: Marino, I. López, Rodas, Juanfran, P. López, Garcia (Xumetra 75’), Morales, Gavilán (Perez 46’), Diop, Camarasa, Casadesús (Barral 67’)
Goals:
Real Madrid: Casillas, Marcelo (Arbeloa 74’), Nacho, Pepe, Carvajal, Kroos (Illarramendi 69’), Rodríguez, Modrić (Medrán 79’), Ronaldo, Hernández, Isco
Goals: Ronaldo (13’, 61’), Hernández (38’), Rodríguez (66’), Isco (82’)
3 things
1. Chicharito can still score goals - Ok, we knew this was the case, but after the Mexican internationals struggled at Manchester United, it's great to see the striker finding his form again. Fans of El Tri will no doubt be pleased as well, but his importance to Real Madrid can't be underestimated. Having a second striker option to backup Karim Benzema is vital for Madrid, especially when the team playing on multiple fronts.
2. The Madrid defensive midfield is improving - While Toni Kroos is hardly the type of player you want playing in a deep midfield role, he's starting to settle in for Madrid. While Levante is not exactly a great test of how far they've come -- Barca will do that next week -- things certainly look more stable. The impending return of Sami Khedira from a knee injury will help in this area as well.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo is insane - While the striker missed getting his fourth hat-trick in five games, he still scored two more goals to expand his lead in the Pichichi race. The pace and volume of goals coming from Ronaldo at this point is absurd, and a reminder that he’s not only one of the best players in the world, he’s easily one of the greatest soccer players of all-time ... and he’s still only 29.
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