French striker Karim Benzema led Real Madrid to their first victory of the season at the Santiago Bernabéu when he scored a double in a 3-2 home win over Levante in the fourth round of La Liga on Sunday. Belgian Eden Hazard with the Royal Club.
Benzema scored his double in the 25th and 31st minutes, before Casemiro netted the third goal (40), while Borja Mayoral (49) and Gonzalo Millero (75) scored both goals.
Benzema has raised his goalscorers to four this season and is the top scorer with nine goals from the last 12 for Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said he was confident the team would improve, noting at the press conference yesterday that he did not want to push some players, especially Hazard from the beginning, as a recent return from injury, saying that he would improve further with the training.
Regarding defensive problems, which almost cost him a draw or even a defeat against Levante, after he was 3-0 ahead, he said: "This does not worry me, our suffering now will reap the fruits of the future." He stressed that it is natural for the team to suffer in the light of the many changes and absences, but he remained optimistic about the team's ability to improve further in the coming period.
After a disappointing draw against home side Valladolid and Villarreal, the Royal won their second win at Celta Vigo in the first phase and moved up to second with eight points behind leaders Atletico.
It was Real's first win over Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu in two seasons, where they drew 1-1 in the 2017-2018 season, and lost 1-2 last season.
Real Madrid seemed to be on the road to an easy win when they went 3-0 up in the first half after a good performance from their players, but Levante appeared differently in the second half and scored twice, and was close to equalizing in the second minute of stoppage time, taking advantage of the defensive errors of the players The club, and the changes made by French coach Zinedine Zidane, who took out captain Sergio Ramos and Casemiro to push the Brazilian Eider Melitao and Hazard (60), in anticipation of the upcoming summit next Wednesday against Saint Germain, in the first round of Group A in the Champions League.
Hazard, who has been officially involved for the first time since his move from Chelsea, after recovering from a groin injury sustained in the run-up to the new season, almost left his mark with two powerful shots from within the area, saved by Fernandez.
Real Madrid waited 25 minutes to open the scoring, through Benzema with a header from close range, following a cross from Danny Carvajal (25).
Benzema reinforced the second goal, when he received a ball from Colombian international James Rodriguez inside the region, prepared for himself before being shot by crawling to the right of the keeper (31).
The third Real from a coordinated attack ended Casemiro unmarked left in the goal, after a pass from Brazilian Vinicius Junior (40).
Levante managed to reduce the gap, early in the second half, through striker Borja Mayoral (49). Levante pulled one back from Gonzalo Millero with a close-range header from a cross from José Compania. Courtois saved his own goal from the equalizer, with his header defender Robin Viezo out of the goal (90 + 1).
Benzema has scored 4 goals this season and nine in his last 12 games with Real Madrid.