Real Madrid defeated Levante with Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema’s goals, but Thiago Courtois needed a fine display to make sure they stick on for three points.
The Brazilian striker was given an age to allow him to turn on his right foot and curl into the top corner, in order to handle a corner that came to him at the edge of the penalty area.
When Nikola Vukcevic headed against the post, While Real dominated most of the first half, Levante came closest to having a second goal.
Benzema could have done better when Luka Modric’s interception took him one-on-one from the edge of the box just after half-time but he fired against the box.
It was all Levante and Courtois had to be at his sharpest in the final half-hour to deny a variety of attempts, particularly one from Carlos Clerc.
But when he added a second goal in stoppage time to seal the draw, Benzema made amends for his earlier mistake.
The victory puts Real on the top of the table with three wins from four games.
Levante – Real Madrid 0-2
Goals: Junior (16), Benzema (90)
Yellow cards: Bardhi 72, Miramon 90+3 – Casemiro 4.
Levante: Fernandez, Miramon, Postigo, Nuno Vezo, Clerc, Campana, Vukcevic (de Frutos 55), Malsa (Radoja 73), Bardhi, Marti (Melero 55), Morales (Gomez Alcon 68).
Real Madrid: Cortois, Nacho, Varane, Ramos, Mendy, Valverde (Odegaard 89), Casemiro, Modric (Isco 89), Asensio (Rodrygo 69), Benzema, Vinicius Junior.
