Madrid: Real Madrid overcame a difficult first half and a hostile atmosphere at home to secure a 2-0 victory over Levante on Saturday. The match was marked by significant protests from home fans against the players and club president Florentino Perez.
According to Namibia Press Agency, Real Madrid players, particularly Vinicius Jr., were met with loud jeers and whistles as they took to the field for warm-up. Vinicius faced boos every time he touched the ball after the kickoff. The discontent among fans was palpable when the players left the pitch with the score tied at 0-0 at halftime. The tension only eased when Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring from the penalty spot, following a foul on himself. Raul Asencio then secured the win with a powerful header from a corner.
In another match, Real Betis enhanced their chances of qualifying for the UEFA Europa League next season by defeating third-placed Villarreal 2-0 at home. Goals from Aitor Ruibal and Pablo Fornals sealed the victory, while Villarreal's Santi Comesana was sent off with 15 minutes remaining.
Elsewhere, Vedat Muriqi's hat-trick led Mallorca to a 3-2 win against Athletic Bilbao. The match saw the home side benefit from two contentious penalties for handball awarded by VAR. Muriqi initially put Mallorca ahead in the fifth minute, but Bilbao's Unai Gomez quickly leveled. After Mallorca's first penalty was saved, Muriqi scored from the rebound. Nico Williams equalized again before halftime, but another penalty allowed Muriqi to net the winning goal. The referee also dismissed Bilbao's Gorka Guruzeta, Gomez, and Inigo Lekue, the latter two from the dugout.
In additional action, Victor Munoz's injury-time goal gave Osasuna a 3-2 home victory over Oviedo. Oviedo had led twice at the El Sadar Stadium through goals from Federico Vinas and Alberto Reina, but Ante Budimir equalized on both occasions for Osasuna.
On Friday night, Girona continued its resurgence with a 2-0 win over Espanyol in the Catalan derby. Vladyslav Vanat scored penalties at the end of each half, the first retaken after Espanyol's goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic was penalized for moving off his line, marking Girona's third consecutive win and lifting them into mid-table.