Real Madrid vs. Levante: Winners and Losers from La Liga Game

Real Madrid earned a 2-0 victory in league play on Sunday night against Levante at the Bernabeu.

Gareth Bale scored two first-half goals to hand Los Blancos a two-goal advantage heading into half-time. His first strike followed a clearance off the line by Ivan Ramis, while his second goal came on a deflection. 

Los Blancos took their foot off the pedal in the second half in front of the home crowd in Madrid, but they were able to finish off the match without any major defensive errors. 

The win moved Real Madrid within one point of Barcelona in the title race ahead of Sunday's El Clasico at the Camp Nou.

Here are our winners and losers from Real Madrid's 21st league win of the season. 

Winner: Gareth Bale

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Bale silenced his critics with an impressive showing that started early in the first half. 

The Welshman was rewarded for his constant movement on the right wing in the 18th minute, when he powered home a right-footed shot into the back of the net. 

After he took advantage of a rebound in the middle of the box, Bale jogged to the right sideline with his hands covering his ears. With his celebration, Bale sent the message to pundits that he is zoning out the questions about his play. 

Bale got back on the scoreboard in the 40th minute, as he deflected a Cristiano Ronaldo shot past Levante goalkeeper Diego Marino. 

Now that he has ended his nine-game goal drought, Bale should be ready to strike once again during El Clasico next Sunday. 

Loser: Cristiano Ronaldo

Daniel Ochoa de Olza/Associated Press

Ronaldo's character came into question during the first half, as his reaction to the first Bale goal was far from ideal. 

Seconds before Bale finished off the first Real Madrid strike, Ronaldo almost scored on a terrific individual effort from the left side of the box. 

Instead of celebrating the goal with his team-mates, Ronaldo let out an exasperated complaint that his shot crossed the line before Ramis headed it away. 

The Portuguese player's bad luck continued in the 40th minute, when his shot from the right side of the box took a deflection off Bale on its way into the net. 

While we may not have to worry about him being in a scoring slump, we should be a bit concerned about his attitude. 

If he continues to react like he did to the first goal, he could the kill the spirits inside of the Real Madrid camp. 

Winner: Luka Modric

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In his first start of 2015, Luka Modric brought a calming influence to the Real Madrid midfield that was missing while he was gone. 

During his 78 minutes on the pitch, the 29-year-old Croatian completed 93.6 percent of his 78 passes, and he contributed three key passes in the final third. 

Modric also showed his defensive prowess in the 71st minute, as he tracked back and took the ball off the feet of David Barral. 

Easing back into the lineup against a weaker side was a major plus for Modric, who will be heavily relied on to stop the dangerous Barcelona attack next weekend. 

Loser: David Navarro

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David Navarro put his side on the back foot in the 18th minute, when his clearance fell to the feet of Bale in the middle of the box. 

The mistake by the 34-year-old defender came seconds after Ramis nodded a Ronaldo shot off the line. 

At the time of Ramis' header, many thought Levante had survived an impressive attacking spurt from the hosts, but that hope was dashed once Navarro attempted to send the ball away from danger. 

The first Real Madrid goal essentially cancelled out any prospect of Levante earning a point at the Bernabeu. 

Had Navarro cleared the ball in a better fashion, Levante may have been able to gain some confidence in an attempt to steal a point. 

Winner: Ivan Ramis

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If Levante were to take one positive out of the defeat at the Bernabeu, it would be the play of Ramis. 

The former Wigan Athletic man was a sturdy presence in the penalty area all night against a Real Madrid attack that seemed to miss a few beats in the second half. 

The Spaniard's biggest involvement came in the 18th minute, when he nodded Ronaldo's shot off the line before Navarro made the bad clearance.

Ramis made seven clearances, an interception and a tackle in Levante's 14th loss of the 2014-15 campaign. 

If he keeps up his solid form over the final part of the season, Ramis will give Levante a good chance to stay above the relegation zone. 

Loser: Keylor Navas

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Keylor Navas was handed an opportunity to impress in between the pipes for Real Madrid on Sunday night, but he was rarely tested by the Levante attack. 

Against his former club, Navas only had one minor involvement in the 87th minute. During that moment, Navas was forced to leap near the crossbar to ensure that Victor Camarasa's shot was headed over the goal. 

When the final whistle sounded, Levante ended with zero shots on target, which should come as a disappointment to Navas. 

With the opportunity in front of him to prove his worth to Carlo Ancelotti, Navas was unable to separate himself from Iker Casillas in the competition for a starting role due to the incompetence of the visiting attack. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

All statistics obtained from WhoScored.com.