Real Madrid ended a turbulent week with a much-needed 2-0 win against Levante, courtesy of second-half goals from Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 and Ra\u00fal Asencio, after being booed by a restless Bernab\u00e9u crowd before the breakthrough arrived.<\/p>\n
Real looked flat in the first half, still carrying the scars of Sunday\u2019s 3-2 defeat by Barcelona<\/a> in the final of the Supercopa de Espa\u00f1a, followed by the departure of Xabi Alonso as manager the next day and a shock 3-2 Copa del Rey exit<\/a> to second-division Albacete on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Boos greeted the players at kick-off, with sections of the crowd also directing chants at the club president Florentino P\u00e9rez. Real eased the tension when Dela tripped Mbapp\u00e9 in the box and the French forward converted the penalty in the 58th minute to extend his league tally to 19 goals.<\/p>\n Seven minutes later, Real doubled their advantage through Asencio, who rose to meet Arda Guler\u2019s corner with a powerful header, giving \u00c1lvaro Arbeloa a crucial cushion as the new head coach and settling the mood in the stadium.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a very important day. Everyone wanted to turn the situation around,\u201d Asencio told RMTV. \u201cWhat happened in Albacete shouldn\u2019t have happened. We felt guilty and wanted to make up for it. He [Arbeloa] asks us to enjoy ourselves \u2013 to be protagonists, to dominate, to focus on ourselves and not on the opposition. Little by little, we\u2019ll get there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt [the penalty] is something we know can\u2019t happen. We fell apart,\u201d the Levante<\/a> striker Iv\u00e1n Romero said. \u201cThe attitude is very good and we don\u2019t give up until the last minute. We have to continue on this path.\u201d<\/p>\n The win keeps Real second in La Liga<\/a> on 48 points from 20 matches, one behind Barcelona, who have a game in hand and visit Real Sociedad on Sunday. Levante are 19th with 14 points.<\/p>\n The Barcelona manager, Hansi Flick, had said Marcus Rashford\u2019s long-term future with the club remains uncertain. The England international has largely impressed during a loan spell from Manchester United with seven goals in 28 appearances Flick said a decision as to whether Barcelona will take up an option to keep Rashford beyond the end of the campaign is yet to be taken.<\/p>\n \u201c[Sporting director] Deco and I always speak about our team and what we can do,\u201d said Flick when asked about Rashford. \u201cMarcus\u2019s performances have been really good until now, but we have to manage it. We still have plenty more time, there are many months, many days, many weeks ahead of u.\u201d<\/p>\n On Saturday night, third-placed Villarreal \u2013 seven points behind Real Madrid but now with two games in hand \u2013 visit Real Betis.<\/p>\n Lautaro Mart\u00ednez slots home Inter\u2019s winner at Udinese. Photograph: Timothy Rogers\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Inter continued to set the pace at the top of the Serie A<\/a> with a 1-0 victory at Udinese on Saturday. Lautaro Mart\u00ednez\u2019s goal earned his side their eighth win in a nine-game unbeaten league run.<\/p>\n The visitors were on the attack from the off. Mart\u00ednez had an early chance, turning his marker but failing to trouble the keeper with his finish and Federico Dimarco\u2019s volleyed shot flashed across the face of the goal.<\/p>\n Inter continued to press and the opener came in the 20th minute. Piotr Zielinski\u2019s ball into the box was backheeled to Mart\u00ednez by Pio Esposito and the Inter striker twisted and turned, making enough space to drive his shot into the bottom corner.<\/p>\n There was little let up from Inter after the goal, with Manuel Akanji heading wide from a corner and Maduka Okoye making a fingertip save from Dimarco\u2019s strike from the edge of the area. The Inter keeper, Yann Sommer, was called into action, parrying away a Jakub Piotrowski shot after a rare Udinese<\/a> foray forward.<\/p>\n Inter move to 49 points, six ahead of Milan who play Lecce at home on Sunday, with third-placed Napoli on 40 points before hosting Sassuolo later on Saturday. Udinese remain 10th on 26 points.<\/p>\n The game, like all Serie A fixtures this weekend, was preceded by a minute\u2019s silence in memory of the Fiorentina owner, Rocco Commisso, whose death was announced eon Saturday.<\/p>\n