Levante go 2-0 up through Roger to pile the pressure on Real Madrid. Photograph: Shot for Press/Action Plus via Getty Images
La Liga

Real Madrid rocked again as Levante leave Lopetegui on the brink

Sat 20 Oct 2018 08.57 EDT

Julen Lopetegui’s future as Real Madrid coach looks increasingly bleak after Levante claimed their first victory at the Bernabéu since 2007, condemning the European champions to a fourth defeat in their last five games.

Lopetegui has only presided over 12 matches since a messy end to his reign as Spain coach on the eve of the World Cup in June but this performance will do little to quell the suggestion he has lost the trust of his dressing room, the supporters and now president Florentino Pérez.

As well as the nature of the results, Lopetegui now has the ignominy of being in charge for Madrid’s worst ever scoring drought since April 1985 as Marcelo’s consolation ended 481 barren minutes in front of goal.

Speaking to beIN La Liga, via Marca, Loepetgui said: “My job? Right now that’s the last thing on my mind. I have to lift the players for a very important game on Tuesday (against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League).

“I believe we clearly deserved to win the match. Football is what you make of it, the team who scores the most goals wins.

“We have to sit down and think about what we are doing badly, to change the momentum. The goal is not coming. We have to insist and not worry, the team have done many things well.

“My players don’t deserve this punishment, we have a Champions League game and we have to recover.”

In a shambolic opening 45 minutes, Madrid found themselves 1-0 down after just seven minutes as Raphaël Varane was curiously clumsy in trying to defend Sergio Postigo’s long ball forward and José Luis Morales nipped around the French defender to clip a finish past Thibaut Courtois.

Julen Lopetegui on the touchline at the Santiago Bernabéu. Photograph: Rodrigo Jimenez/EPA

It got worse for Los Blancos and Varane five minutes later as the centre-back was penalised for handball just inside the penalty area following a VAR review after Roger Martí flicked the ball passed him. The Levante forward then converted the spot-kick.

VAR then denied Madrid an equaliser as Marco Asensio was just a fraction offside as he headed in from close range. But technology also came to the hosts’ aid when a brilliant Levante counter-attack, just before half-time, ended with Rubén Rochina finishing past Courtois only for Toño to be ruled offside in the buildup.

The white handkerchiefs were out at half-time before Lopetegui introduced the curiously-benched Gareth Bale and then Karim Benzema.

Marcelo finished well with his right foot after Benzema’s cut-back from the touchline on 72 minutes, while the French forward also struck a post and Mariano Díaz was denied by yet another VAR review, but despite the late rally Lopetegui’s fate may now be sealed.

“We are feeling very bad, we 100 per cent had to win this game and we kept trying until the end but it wasn’t meant to be,” said Real midfielder Dani Ceballos.

“I believe in the coach, although the decision isn’t mine. I don’t think his job is in danger, we are right behind him.”

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