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Tuesday, 11 March 2014 01:09 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Cristiano Ronaldo, the leading scorer in Spain this season, took his tally to 24 league goals when he headed the opener from Angel Di Maria’s corner in the 11th minute and Marcelo added a second from Ronaldo’s assist four minutes after the break.
David Navarro was harshly shown a straight red card in the 64th minute for an innocuous-looking tackle on Ronaldo and fellow Levante defender Nikos Karampelas put the ball into his own net nine minutes from time.
Ronaldo, who became Portugal’s leading scorer with a double against Cameroon in Wednesday’s 5-1 friendly victory, came close to a second in the 90th minute when he headed against the underside of the crossbar and Gareth Bale whistled a low shot just past the post in added time.
“I don’t think it was a perfect game but we were close,” Marcelo told Canal Plus television.
“We were a bit weaker in the first half than the second but the important thing was that we didn’t concede any goals and in that respect we have improved a lot,” added the Brazil international.
“We couldn’t afford to stumble today and of course it’s better when the others lose but we are focusing on ourselves.”
Real, unbeaten in 29 matches in all competitions, have 67 points with 11 matches left and Atletico Madrid are three behind in second position after winning 2-0 at Celta Vigo on Saturday.
Champions Barca, who visit Real for the ‘Clasico’ in two weeks’ time, turned in one of their worst performances of the campaign on Saturday at relegation-haunted Valladolid and slipped to third on 63 points.
Well placed
Real are well placed in all three competitions they are in and a treble of Champions League, La Liga and King’s Cup, which would be a first for the world’s richest club, is within reach.
They have a 6-1 lead over Schalke 04 ahead of their last-16 second leg in Europe’s elite club competition on 18 March and meet Barca in the King’s Cup final in Valencia on 16 April.
“The team played well from the first minute to the last, with confidence and efficiency,” Ancelotti told a news conference.
“We are in a good position in all the competitions,” added the Italian who is in his first season in charge after taking over from Jose Mourinho. “The risk is to think too much because each game could be the most important of the season.
“The only thing I will say is Madrid are obliged to fight for the three titles.”
Fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao (51 points) missed a chance to open a nine-point lead over Villarreal (44) in fifth when the Basque side drew 1-1 at Valencia.
Paco Alcacer put eighth-placed Valencia (36) ahead in the 23rd minute and Aritz Aduriz levelled from the penalty spot eight minutes into the second half.
Sevilla (41), in seventh, boosted their chances of qualifying for Europe with a 3-1 win at Almeria while ninth-placed Espanyol (36) also stayed in the hunt with a 3-1 triumph at home to Elche.
Ibrahimovic shines again as PSG stay eight points clearREUTERS: Zlatan Ibrahimovic was again the chief tormentor as French champions Paris St. Germain won 3-0 at Bastia to stay eight points clear at top of the Ligue 1 on Saturday.
Ibrahimovic opened the scoring with a powerful header into the top corner in the sixth minute before his clever backheel set up Ezequiel Lavezzi for the second goal 13 minutes later.
The Sweden international set up Lavezzi again for the third two minutes from time.
The result put PSG, who take a 4-0 lead into the return leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Bayer Leverkusen at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday, on 67 points from 28 games.
Second-placed Monaco later beat second-bottom Sochaux 2-1.
Dimitar Berbatov put the hosts in front after six minutes, tapping in at the far post from Layvin Kurzawa’s cross.
James Rodriguez made it 2-0 from the penalty spot after Berbatov was brought down 10 minutes into the second half.
Edouard Butin scored a consolation goal in the 84th, just before Jordan Ayew was sent off for kicking Andre Raggi on the leg.
In Corsica, PSG coach Laurent Blanc decided to rest key players following international duty, with France midfielder Blaise Matuidi and Brazil centre back Thiago Silva both starting on the bench.
It did not prevent the visitors from virtually wrapping up the points in the opening 20 minutes.
Following a fine one-two with Lucas, Ibrahimovic beat Yannick Cahuzac in the air to head home from the Brazil forward’s cross.
The Swede was at it again when his backheel in midfield split the Bastia defence, leaving Lavezzi free to run through on goal unchallenged and beat Jean-Louis Leca from close range.
Lavezzi then converted an easy chance after collecting Ibrahimovic’s knock-down and finding the net after a defensive blunder from Sebastien Squillaci.
On Friday, Olympique Marseille’s Champions League challenge suffered a setback when they lost 1-0 at home to Nice to stay fifth, six points adrift of third-placed Lille.
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