Real Madrid 2-0 Levante: Mbappé and Asencio Seal Dominant Bernabéu Victory

Kathmandu— Real Madrid kicked off the second half of the LaLiga season with a convincing 2-0 victory over Levante UD on Saturday afternoon, thrilling a crowd of over 70,000 at the Santiago Bernabéu.

In a Round 20 fixture that showcased total dominance from the home side, Carlo Ancelotti’s men had to exercise patience before breaking down a resilient Levante defense in the second half. Goals from superstar Kylian Mbappé and youngster Raúl Asencio secured the three points, keeping Los Blancos’ title charge firmly on track.

A Frustrating First Half
Despite controlling the tempo from the opening whistle, Real Madrid headed into the locker room at halftime locked in a 0-0 stalemate. Levante, setting up in a low defensive block, managed to absorb the initial pressure, though they offered little going forward.

The Second Half Surge
The deadlock was finally broken just shortly before the hour mark. In the 58th minute, Real Madrid were awarded a penalty. Kylian Mbappé stepped up to the spot and made no mistake, firing the hosts into a 1-0 lead. It was a well-deserved goal for the Frenchman, who was the Man of the Match with a rating of 8.4, recording 1.2 Expected Goals (xG) and three shots on target over 90 minutes.

With the deadlock broken, the floodgates threatened to open. Just seven minutes later, in the 65th minute, Madrid doubled their advantage. Raúl Asencio found the back of the net, capitalizing on an assist from Turkish playmaker Arda Güler to make it 2-0.

Statistical Domination
The post-match statistics highlight just how one-sided the affair was. Real Madrid commanded 70% of the possession compared to Levante’s 30%. The offensive output was even more lopsided; Madrid registered a staggering 26 total shots with 11 on target.

Conversely, Levante struggled to create any meaningful offense. While they attempted 10 shots, they failed to register a single shot on target against the Madrid goalkeeper, finishing the match with an xG of just 0.8.

Match Summary
Date: Saturday, 17 January 2026
Competition: LaLiga, Round 20
Venue: Santiago Bernabéu
Attendance: 70,104
Referee: Miguel Sesma Espinosa

Real Madrid will look to carry this momentum into their next fixture, while Levante will need to go back to the drawing board to address their lack of cutting edge in the final third.