MADRID: After defending champions Atletico Madrid edged Elche to add to their winning start in La Liga, Real Madrid couldn’t overcome a Levante side that was forced to finish the match with a defender as its goalkeeper.

Atletico won 1-0 at home in the return of fans to the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium on Sunday, becoming the only team with two wins to begin the league. Then Real couldn’t manage more than a 3-3 draw even though Levante played nearly 10 minutes without a true goalkeeper in the late game in Valencia.

Real failed to get a shot on target after Levante goalkeeper Aitor Fernandez was sent off in the 87th minute for using his hands outside the area to stop a breakaway. Defender Ruben Vezo took over as goalkeeper because the hosts had already made all five substitutions, but he didn’t have to make any saves in the remainder of regulation and stoppage time.

Real had opened the scoring in the first half with Gareth Bale, but the visitors had to come from behind twice after halftime to salvage the draw with a pair of goals by Vinicius Junior.

“It’s hard to explain what happened,” Real coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “We gave away two points. We were too soft entering the second half. We need to improve defensively.”

Bale scored his first goal of the season in the fifth minute with a low shot from inside the area after a set up by Karim Benzema, who made a run from near midfield before passing the ball to the Wales forward, who had been on a loan with Totten­ham Hotspur last season.

Bale hadn’t scored for Real since January 2020. He finished that season with only three goals, his lowest-ever tally with the Spanish club.

Roger Marti equalised about 30 seconds into the second half, and Jose Campana put the hosts ahead with a shot into the top corner in the 57th.

Real evened the match in a 73rd-minute breakaway, with Vinicius finding the net after a nice pass by Casemiro from Madrid’s own field. But six minutes later Rober Pier gave Levante the lead again from close range off a set piece.

Vinicius pulled Real even again with a neat angled shot that struck the far post before going in but they could not find a winner.

Earlier in Madrid, Angel Correa continued his torrid form for Atletico.

A week after striking twice in a 2-1 victory in the opening round at Celta Vigo, the diminutive Argentinian striker struck again in the 39th minute.

Atletico, who won the title in a season played behind closed doors, finally got to share their trophy with their fans. For the first time in 18 months there was a crowd at the Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday, where 24,926 were allowed in.

The home club also presented summer signing Rodrigo de Paul. The Argentinian international midfielder was willing to help out in defence and assisted on his compatriot’s goal, with a pass very like the one with which he set up Angel di Maria for Argentina’s winner in the Copa America final against Brazil in July.

De Paul lofted the ball over the visiting defence and into the path of the sprinting Correa. The striker eluded an untidy challenge on the edge of the penalty area by Elche goalkeeper Kiko Casilla, ran on to the ball, steadied himself and then placed a shot past the backpedalling defenders with the outside of his boot.

Real Sociedad rebounded from an opening loss at Barcelona by beating promoted Rayo Vallecano 1-0 thanks to a 68th-minute penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2021