Real Madrid 1-2 Levante - Julen Lopetegui's side suffer third loss in a row as fans wave white handkerchiefs

Julen Lopetegui looked forlornly to the floor as the final whistle blew. In the stands too they whistled and whirled white handkerchiefs. AS The Spanish manager, who arrived at the club under such controversial circumstances, anxiously chewed his bottom-lip even his thoughts were surely in parallel with those angry supporters - it's over.

As the 54th minute passed, Real Madrid officially surpassed the 465 minute tally which had previously been their all -time longest goal drought. Eventually, even when they did find an oasis, their performance was lacklustre and often lifless. It seems the only way Madrid can recover post-Ronaldo is to become post-Lopetegui too.

Madrid's decline could be characterised by the ease with which Levante scored their first goal. Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane allowed a simple through ball from counterpart centre-back Sergio Postigo to drift between them which Jose Morales gleefully pounced on, rounded the helpless Thibaut Courtois and prodded home for his fourth goal of the season after just six minutes.

And again, it was Varane at fault for Levante's second just minutes later. The ball bounced on the edge of the area and hit his flailing arm and although the referee initially awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box, it was then overturned by VAR.

Morales' strike partner Roger calmly converted from the spot and Madrid were two down after the opening fifteen minutes of a match for the first time since February 2017.

Feeling the remnants of his Real career ebb away, Lopetegui had made all three of his substitutions by the 60th minute. Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale came on and immediately offered a predatorial instinct in the final third which for a while threatened to overturn the deficit, espefcially after the former's trickery teed up Marcelo's thrash into the roof of the net on 72 minutes to claw one back.

However, it wasn't to be. Even as Bale half-heartedly attempted to gee up the crowd, they are a side who seem to have lost their soul. This was their third loss in a row. They have won just one of their last five. And as the Levante players celebrated their historic win in the centre-circle at the full-time whistle, they were the happy ending in a tragic Madrid story for Lopetegui.

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