Levante 1-2 Real Madrid: VAR and the referee give Los Blancos victory
Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale both scored from the penalty spot to win it in Valencia
Real Madrid beat Levante thanks to VAR and referee Ignacio Iglesias Villanueva.
LEV
1 ________________ 2
RMA
LINE UP
Levante
Aitor Fernández, Simon, Cabaco, Vezo, Róber Pier, Luna, Rochina (Doukouré, 60'), Campaña, Bardhi (Vukcevic, 88'), Morales y Roger (Raphael, 73').
Real Madrid
Courtois, Carvajal, Varane, Nacho, Reguilón, Modric, Casemiro, Kroos (Fede Valverde, 69'), Lucas Vázquez, Benzema (Bale, 74') y Vinicius (Marco Asensio, 83').
Goles
0-1, Benzema, de penalti (43'), 1-1, Roger (60'); 1-2, Bale, de penalti (78').
Árbitro
Iglesias Villanueva (comité gallego). Amonestó a Roger (25'), Lucas Vázquez (68') y Luna (84'). Expulsó a Nacho por doble amonestación (28' y 86') y a Rochina (57' y 88'), la segunda cuando ya estaba en el banquillo.
Incidencias
Partido correspondiente a la 25ª jornada de la Liga Santander disputado en el estadio Ciutat de València en presencia de 23.000 espectadores.
Two penalties, scored by Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale, were enough to hand Madrid three points that keep the third place side nine behind Barcelona in the title race ahead of next weekend’s league Clasico.
The first was a penalty, a handball by Enis Bardhi from Luka Modric’s cross, but the referee didn’t spot it and only via VAR could he see the incident again and call play back for a penalty.
Benzema dispatched it two minutes before half time.
Levante were the better team, with Roger hitting the post twice before pulling his side level by firing across Thibaut Courtois from Jose Morales’s cross.
However after Cheick Doukoure swung and missed the ball and Casemiro threw himself on the floor, the referee pointed to the spot again.
For some reason he was told by his VAR colleagues not to view the incident again and even though it was a clear dive, Bale was allowed to take the penalty.
The Welshman scored and celebrated angrily, but it was Levante who had every right to be aggrieved.
Nacho was sent off late on for Madrid and Ruben Rochina - who had already been subbed - for Levante, as the game ended in an angry mess.
