Kylian Mbappé kept Real Madrid’s nerves in check by scoring a second-half penalty as Los Blancos earned a tense 2–0 LaLiga win over Levante at an angry Santiago Bernabéu.
It was a challenging night for newly appointed coach Álvaro Arbeloa, who stepped in after Xabi Alonso’s surprise exit following Real’s Spanish Super Cup loss to Barcelona. Ahead of kickoff, Arbeloa had called on supporters to stand with the team — but patience was clearly in short supply.
Still reeling from their shock Copa del Rey elimination to second-tier Albacete earlier in the week, Real were greeted by loud boos from their own fans. Whistles rang around the stadium throughout the first half, with some supporters waving white handkerchiefs in protest as the players headed down the tunnel at the break. Club president Florentino Pérez was also not spared the criticism.
With the pressure mounting, Mbappé finally broke the deadlock in the 57th minute. The French star was brought down in the box by Adrián de la Fuente and calmly converted the resulting penalty, sending Levante goalkeeper Mathew Ryan the wrong way for his 30th goal of the season. Eight minutes later, Raúl Asencio eased the tension further, powering home a header from an Arda Güler corner to make it 2–0.
Despite the win, the hostile atmosphere underlined the scale of the task facing Arbeloa as he tries to rebuild trust with the fanbase. The victory leaves Real Madrid just one point behind league leaders Barcelona, who face Real Sociedad on Sunday.
The past week has been anything but calm in Madrid. Alonso left by mutual consent on Monday, less than eight months after succeeding Carlo Ancelotti, and Arbeloa’s first match in charge ended in a dramatic 3–2 stoppage-time defeat to Albacete.
Against second-from-bottom Levante, Real struggled to find their rhythm early on, held scoreless until half-time amid growing frustration in the stands. After taking control in the second half, they pushed for more goals, with Jude Bellingham denied by a sharp save from Ryan and Franco Mastantuono rattling the woodwork as Real kept up the pressure.
It wasn’t a perfect performance — but on a volatile night, Real Madrid got the result they desperately needed.
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