Real Madrid’s flawless start to life under Xabi Alonso meets an early test of resilience Tuesday when the La Liga leaders travel to the Ciutat de Valencia to face a Levante side that has rediscovered belief after its rocky reintroduction to Spain’s top flight.
Los Blancos have taken maximum points through five league games and added a Champions League win over Marseille to extend Alonso’s winning debut to six matches in all competitions.
Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Espanyol, highlighted by Eder Militao’s long-range strike and a cool finish from Kylian Mbappe, saw Alonso join Jose Quirante (1906) and Vanderlei Luxemburgo (2004-05) as the only Madrid managers to win their first five La Liga games.
Madrid’s balance has been striking: 10 goals scored, only two conceded, and three clean sheets.
Alonso’s emphasis on a compact back line and quick transitions has produced both defensive steel and attacking flair.
With a derby against Atletico looming at the weekend, the challenge is to avoid distraction against a Levante side that has caused plenty of headaches in recent years.
The Granotes have denied Madrid victories in six of the last 10 meetings, including a chaotic 3-3 draw at this ground in August 2021.
For Levante, this encounter represents both opportunity and measuring stick.
The club returned to La Liga this season after winning the Segunda Division title, but the jump proved harsh: three straight defeats against Alaves, Barcelona and Elche left them at the foot of the table.
Since then, the story has changed.
A 2-2 draw against Real Betis signaled resilience, and Saturday’s 4-0 demolition of Girona offered conviction.
Karl Etta Eyong opened the scoring before Girona collapsed under two red cards.
Carlos Alvarez, Ivan Romero and Goduine Koyalipou all struck to seal Levante’s biggest top-flight win in four years.
It was more than just three points – it was a statement that Julian Calero’s team can adapt and thrive at this level.
With Eyong and Romero tied as the club’s top scorers on three goals each, Levante suddenly possess a sharper cutting edge.
Their willingness to go toe-to-toe with Barcelona in a narrow 3-2 defeat earlier this season further underlines their capacity to unsettle elite opposition.
History adds more weight. Levante have scored in each of their last seven home games against Madrid, averaging nearly two goals a match.
For Calero, the challenge is to channel that history into momentum while keeping his squad grounded. “The belief is here,” he said after the Girona win. “But against Madrid, we must be both brave and intelligent.”
Madrid, meanwhile, must find solutions to their piling injuries.
Summer signing Trent Alexander-Arnold, who had quickly cemented his place at right back, will miss six to eight weeks with a hamstring injury sustained in the Marseille match.
Antonio Rüdiger (muscle injury) and Ferland Mendy (thigh) are also sidelined, leaving Alonso short of defensive options.
Dean Huijsen returns from suspension to ease the burden, while Arda Güler and Brahim Díaz could rotate into the lineup to manage minutes before the derby.
Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga, both eased back from injuries on Saturday, are set for longer cameos.
Alonso’s men will draw confidence from their last meeting with Levante: a 6-0 rout at the Bernabeu in May 2022, when Vinicius Junior scored a hat trick.
But the Ciutat de Valencia has rarely been a comfortable venue, and with Levante buoyed by momentum, Madrid know there will be no margin for complacency.
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