La Liga Video: Levante 1-0 Real Madrid Goals, Reaction and Match Highlights
Real Madrid's unbeaten start to the 2011/12 La Liga campaign is over after they were embarrassed by Levante Sunday night.
Real Madrid started the game well and were unlucky not to take the lead in the opening exchanges but after an off the ball melee Sami Khedira inexplicitly got sent off for pushing an opponent to the floor. Following the red card, Levante grew in confidence and with the passionate home crows behind them, scored a deserved victory over their illustrious opponents.
Real Madrid could have taken the lead after just eight minutes when Angel Di Maria's free-kick was spilled by Gustavo Munua in the area, but as Karim Benzema pounced to slam the ball home, the linesman raised his flag to see the strike disallowed, with Pepe having been caught offside.
Later in the first half, Sami Khedira was sent off for a second bookable offence four minutes before the interval and Levante took advantage to grab the winner through Kone.
Mourinho's side were ominously blunt as the closing stages played out with no goalmouth action and with the champions having looked so imperious against Osasuna on Saturday, the Portuguese will have been troubled by a defeat that leaves his side a point behind Pep Guardiola's men and their blistering start halted in the most unlikely of fixtures.
"The match evened out once we were down to ten men. One of the teams kept defending, albeit less, and the other wanted to attack but lacked potential to do so. The game ended once they scored. We played well in the beginning," Mourinho said after the game.
"Our opponent didn't enter our half of the pitch and Casillas didn't even touch the ball. We had great chances to score and we failed to capitalise on them because the pitch was in bad shape and Levante defended fiercely. We dominated the match at times," the Portuguese tactician added.
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