Castro rues Mbappé moment as Levante's brave showing falls short at the Bernabéu
Levante boss Luís Castro felt his side were undone by a moment of Mbappé magic despite putting in a strong performance against a Real Madrid team with a point to prove.
Levante manager Luís Castro praised his side’s performance despite their defeat to Real Madrid, lamenting how their impressive first-half display couldn’t translate into a positive result.
First half promise
Castro was clearly pleased with how his Levante side approached the game, particularly in the opening 45 minutes where they created several decent opportunities against the Spanish giants.
“We had a very good first half with two or three balls into the box where we could have done more damage, plus a couple of dangerous free kicks,” the Portuguese manager explained.
But football can be a right old game of fine margins, and Castro identified the turning point: “The goal from Mbappé in the second half changed the match,” he admitted, noting how Madrid’s counter-attacking prowess ultimately proved decisive.
Mental edge lost
What’s particularly gutting for the Levante boss was the sense that a first-half goal could have completely changed the complexion of the match.
“If we’d scored in the first half, we would have hurt them mentally. They would’ve had to take risks, and we could have capitalised,” Castro suggested, clearly believing his underdogs had the tactical plan to cause an upset.
He was also quick to point out that Madrid weren’t taking any chances after their recent trophy disappointments, fielding their strongest eleven rather than a rotated Copa del Rey side.
Form perspective
When questioned about Levante’s concerning run of results, Castro offered a glass-half-full perspective:
“It depends how you look at it. Yes, it’s one win from our last ten, but in the last four matches, you’ve seen something different – just one defeat in those four games.”
The gaffer was adamant that his team showed their quality at the Bernabéu, suggesting they were undone by “one or two details” rather than being comprehensively outplayed.
“The team was very good today. We didn’t have much luck, and they didn’t create many chances against us,” he concluded, finding positives despite leaving the capital with nothing to show for their efforts.