After their Copa del Rey elimination by Segunda División side Albacete, Real Madrid will host Levante this Saturday at home. Mundo Deportivo wrote that Real Madrid is facing a serious crisis, and a loss to Levante would effectively end their La Liga title hopes.
Mundo Deportivo noted that although Levante currently sit second-to-last in La Liga, the team’s morale has significantly improved under new manager Luis Castro. They first defeated Sevilla 3-0 on the road and then drew 1-1 at home against Espanyol.
Can Levante once again play the role of "giant-killer"? In the 21st century, Levante have beaten Real Madrid three times at the Bernabéu—in the 2006/07, 2018/19, and 2020/21 seasons. Each of these victories came when Real Madrid was in a difficult situation. Now, the Galácticos face another critical challenge: failing to beat Levante would further widen the gap between them and league leaders Barcelona.
In January 2021, under coach Paco López, Levante came from behind to defeat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu. Morales and Roger Martí scored for the visitors. That season proved disappointing for Real Madrid, as they failed to achieve desired results across all competitions.
In the 2018/19 season, also under Paco López, Levante again defeated Real Madrid by the same 2-1 scoreline at the Bernabéu. That loss led to the sacking of then-Real Madrid manager Julen Lopetegui and paved the way for Barcelona’s eventual title triumph.
It is worth noting that since the 2018/19 season, only Barcelona (6 wins) and Valencia (4 wins) have beaten Real Madrid more often in La Liga than Levante. Additionally, Morales has scored five goals in his 17 career appearances against Real Madrid—second only to his tallies against Osasuna (7 goals), Eibar, and Real Betis (6 goals each).