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Sorry - this page has been removed. Gareth Bale strikes twice to earn Real Madrid victory over Levante
(2 months later)
This could be because it launched early, our rights have expired, there was a legal issue, or for another reason. Gareth Bale struck twice to end a nine-game goal drought and earn Real Madrid a 2-0 victory over struggling Levante at the Bernabéu on Sunday, a result which ended a run of three games without a win for the European champions.
The Wales international, who has been whistled by Real fans during their recent poor run, scored both goals in the first half and went close to completing a hat-trick midway through the second.
For further information, please contact: Real are now a point behind the La Liga leaders Barcelona and have the opportunity to overtake their rival in next Sunday’s El Clásico at Camp Nou.
They went into the game having narrowly qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals 5-4 on aggregate against Schalke, who beat them 4-3 in the round of 16 second leg in Madrid and went close to scoring the fifth goal that would have eliminated Real on away goals.
Real’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti, made significant changes from that game. The goalkeeper and captain, Iker Casillas, who had a poor game against Schalke, was replaced by Keylor Navas, Toni Kroos was picked as a substitute and the centre back Sergio Ramos returned from injury.
Anxious to make amends for Tuesday’s poor performance against Schalke, Real started strongly and Cristiano Ronaldo hit a post from close range in the fifth minute.
Bale seemed especially fired up and opened the scoring in the 18th minute when he volleyed in after an acrobatic Ronaldo effort had been cleared off the line. In celebration Bale ran to the corner before angrily kicking the flag.
His second goal five minutes before half-time was rather fortuitous when he stuck out a leg and deflected Ronaldo’s low shot into the corner.
After the break Karim Benzema sent a spectacular volley against the corner of the goal frame in the 64th minute and Bale was brilliantly denied by the Levante goalkeeper Diego Marino in a one-on-one situation six minutes later.
Ronaldo, who had a frustrating night, had a fierce drive saved by Marino and volleyed over late on but Real were unable to breach Levante’s defences again.
Real’s failure to score more goals against a team in real danger of relegation raised further questions about their form and left them with a goal difference of 53 to Barcelona’s 62.