Real Madrid moved within one point of La Liga leaders Barcelona with a 2-0 win over Levante, though the day was overshadowed by fan protests at the Bernabeu.
Supporters waved white handkerchiefs before kick-off and jeered at players like Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr, and Federico Valverde, as well as the club’s hierarchy. New manager Alvaro Arbeloa, who replaced Xabi Alonso on Monday, was also targeted during the match.
Goals from Kylian Mbappe and Raul Asencio in the second half gave the 15-time European Cup winners the victory after a tough week. Madrid had suffered a humiliating Copa del Rey loss to second-division side Albacete on Wednesday. Arbeloa restored Mbappe and Bellingham to the starting lineup for his first La Liga match in charge.
The unrest was clear early on, with Bellingham jeered despite pushing his team forward. Madrid struggled in the first half with just one shot on target, prompting Arbeloa to make changes at halftime, bringing on Arda Guler and Franco Mastantuono.
In the 58th minute, Mbappe opened the scoring from a penalty after being fouled by Adrian de la Fuente. Seven minutes later, Asencio doubled the lead by heading home a corner from Guler.
Mbappe, the league’s top scorer this season with 19 goals, and young forward Gonzalo Garcia were among the few players not jeered by fans.
Real Madrid will next face Monaco in the Champions League on Tuesday.
