The Whites knock off La Liga bottom-dwellers for their sixth straight win in domestic play
Levante 0-2 Real Madrid
January 13, 2008 -Real Madrid closed out the first half of the season with a 0-2 victory over Levante to maintain their seven-point cushion over Barcelona. They also retained top-scoring team honours (41) and were the best road team of the first round (seven victories). Van Nistelrooy's brace give him eleven goals for the year and the Dutchman now sits in second place in the Pichichi table.
After being listed as questionable prior to tonight's match, Casillas (gastroentiritis) and Raúl (knee) recovered from their respective niggles on time to take the pitch at Ciudad de Valencia Stadium. Cannavaro and Baptista also returned to action, as did Van Nistelrooy, who was rested during last Thursday's Cup match.
The hosts came limping into the match amid turbulent times in the coastal city. This week saw the departure of three players -Storari, Cirillo, and Savio- during the winter transfer window. The bright light at the end of the tunnel was seeing Riga back in action, but Guijo was unable to suit up due to muscle problems. Vladan Kujovic got his second start in goal.
Levante looks alive
Levante had nothing to lose and it showed. As each side analyzed the other and made the necessary adjustments, it was Gago who provided the first assist, which was trapped by Kujovic before ever reaching Van Nistelrooy (11’). Two minutes later, Sneijder tried his luck from outside the box, but the Serbian keeper made another fine save.
Courtois had a go with a crossed shot near the quarter-hour mark, but Cannavaro managed to clear for a corner kick. Levante's attack was relentless, and seconds later Casillas was forced to make a charging save before Juanma reached the ball in the box. Real Madrid lacked authority on the pitch and had trouble finding open spaces to create any kind of threat. That until the best chance of the night. Sneijder curved a corner kick into the six and Baptista's strike hit the post. Raúl found the ball at his feet after it richocheted against Kujovic, but the keeper managed to trap the shot with his legs (21’).
Neither team had many more scoring opportunities before the break. Near the midway point of the half, Courtois nearly snuck one by Casillas after another corner (23’). Minutes before the referee blew his whistle, Pepe's cross found Raúl, but Kujovic had little trouble stopping the captain's shot.
Van Goal
Real Madrid and Levante retook to the turf as determined as ever, but it was the hosts who fired the first warning shot. Riga scooped up Marcelo's poor clearance and passed it to Pedro León, whose strike from the top of the box sailed just wide of the right post (48’). Minutes later, Riga's header off a Juanma center-pass was safely taken care of by Casillas. It was the Madridistas turn to answer.
Gago crossed a ball in from the right wing and Baptista had a goal on the tip of his boots, but the Brazilian's first shot hit off Tomassi's back and the second off the rebound was cleared by the defense (52’). Twelve minutes later, Robinho opened a runnig lane for Guti, but Kujovic guessed correctly for the save. Robinho had another golden opportunity but sent the ball straight off the right post of the Levantine goal (64’).
Minutes ticked off the clock and both teams stepped up the pace. Real Madrid worked the counterattack and finally managed a breakthrough. Higuaín's center hit Serrano's hand and the referee didn't hesitate in pointing to the penalty spot. Van Nistelrooy took the kick and scored the powerful strike to the right post (74’). No better way to celebrate his recent contract extension. Three minutes before the final whistle, the Madridista Pichichi hammered the final nail in the coffin with a right-footed shot across the box. La Liga's highest scoring team added two more goals to the tally (41), while Levante's heroic effort wasn't worthy of their bottom-dwelling status.
MATCH REPORT:
0- LEVANTE: Kujovic; Descarga, Álvaro, Serrano, Rubiales; Juanma (Saúl,71’), Tomassi, Berson, Courtois (Ettien,86’); Pedro León (Iborra, 68’), and Riga.
2- REAL MADRID: Casillas; Torres, Pepe, Cannavaro, Marcelo; Sneijder (Higuaín, 70’), Gago, Baptista (Guti, 55’), Robinho (Drenthe, 83’); Raúl and Van Nistelrooy.
REFEREE: Fernández Borbalán. Booked Tomassi (30’).
GOALS:
0-1, min.74: Van Nistelrooy penalty kick.
0-2, min.88: Van Nistelrooy shot across the box.
NOTES: Matchday 19 of La Liga played at Ciudad de Valencia Stadium. Attendance: 22,312.
Match report by Laura Navas
Special correspondents to Valencia
Translation by Matthew Goltz
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