La Liga: Controversial win for Real; Atletico beat Villareal

Real Madrid's Gareth Bale came off the bench and coolly converted a controversial penalty to secure a 2-1 win at Levante in La Liga on Sunday as the European champions rode their luck to stay within nine points of leaders Barcelona.

Real came under heavy pressure early on but Karim Benzema gave them the lead towards the end of the first half from the spot after a penalty was correctly awarded for handball by Enis Bardhi following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.

Levante, who pulled off a shock 2-1 win over Real at the Santiago Bernabeu earlier this season, deservedly drew level on the hour mark with a sliding finish from Roger Marti, who had struck the woodwork twice before the interval.

Real, who lost 2-1 at home to Girona in their last outing, struggled to impose themselves and Brazilian teenager Vinicius Jr was again their stand-out performer as more experienced players like Toni Kroos and Luka Modric gave sluggish displays.

Real were then awarded a hotly-contested penalty following another VAR review when Casemiro went down theatrically after light contact from Levante substitute Cheick Doukoure.

Wales forward Bale, who had only replaced Benzema minutes earlier, deceived Levante keeper Aitor Fernandez with an ice-cool finish from the spot but barely celebrated the goal, brushing away team mates who tried to congratulate him.

Real are third in the standings on 48 points, two behind Atletico Madrid who beat Villarreal 2-0 earlier on Sunday and still adrift of Barca, who won 4-2 at Sevilla on Saturday.

Real had defender Nacho Fernandez sent off for a second booking late in the game, although the Spaniard's first yellow card meant he had already been ruled out of next Saturday's 'Clasico' at home to Barcelona in the league.

Real also meet Barca in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday with the tie level at 1-1.

Levante's Ruben Rochina, meanwhile, received a second yellow card for venting his fury at the officials from the sidelines after being replaced by Doukoure, having earlier been booked while he was on the pitch.

"It was a very difficult game, they played a block of five players in midfield and it was very hard for us to create chances, but we took advantage of the opportunities we got and fortunately they did not," said Real defender Dani Carvajal.

Carvajal also defended the second penalty Madrid were awarded, which had sparked furious protests from Levante's players and coaching staff.

"I was 25 metres away and I could hear the kick, I'm not a referee and they have a tough job and if the referee gives a penalty and the VAR ratifies it then it must be a penalty," he said.

But Levante president Quico Catalan was bemused by the decision, saying: "The more replays I see the less I understand it. I've seen it 37 times and it seems very, very harsh to me".

"If Doukoure had really hit Casemiro he'd have had to be taken off in an ambulance, and it surprises me even more that this penalty was awarded due to VAR."

Morata finally scores for Atletico in win over Villarreal

Alvaro Morata scored his first goal for Atletico Madrid in a 2-0 win at home to Villarreal on Sunday which cut the gap behind La Liga leaders Barcelona back down to seven points.

Morata, who is on loan from Chelsea and had seen two goals ruled out after video assistant referee (VAR) reviews in recent games, broke the deadlock in the 31st minute, sending a cross from Filipe Luis into the bottom corner on the volley.

This was a less intense performance from Diego Simeone's side than Wednesday's thrilling 2-0 win over Juventus in the Champions League but they still had several chances to add to their lead, with Diego Costa spurning three good opportunities.

They finally sealed the points with a goal from midfielder Saul Niguez in the 88th minute, aided by two lapses from the visiting side, who are in serious danger of getting relegated.

Goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo misjudged a bounce in his area which allowed Saul to reach the ball first while defender Victor Ruiz was perfectly placed to head the shot away but mistimed his jump, watching on as the ball sailed past him into the net.

Atletico are second in the standings after 25 games on 50 points, while leaders Barcelona have 57. Villarreal are 18th on 23 points, two away from getting out of the relegation zone.