Immediate Reactions: Levante - Real Madrid, la Liga 2015-2016 (1-3)

Real Madrid had a good chance of collecting a solid, convincing win against a Levante team fighting to avoid relegation. Zidane and his men put on a very disappointing performance last Saturday in the Madrid Derby and today's game could've earned them a bit of redemption. It's true that very important players for Real like Marcelo, Carvajal, Ramos, Modric, Bale and Benzema were out. All six of them are starters when healthy and Madrid definitely missed their presence, but they had more than enough tools to achieve a more encouraging win than the one they got today against Levante.

1. The youngsters are here to stay? Mayoral "scored" a goal on his debut as a starter -- although the referee will credit Levante's goalkeeper -- and Lucas Vázquez was arguably one of the most active players on the pitch. Considering how many players are not at Zidane's disposal because of injuries, Real Madrid might need these young canteranos to stay motivated in La Liga and fight for this club.
2. James needs to step up his effort. The Colombian player is not in great form and his confidence is really low at the moment. That's clear. Either way, he has no excuse for the lack of defensive commitment displayed today when he was playing as a central midfielder.
3. Casemiro can still be useful. He wasn't impressive and Real Madrid could've used Mateo Kovacic instead, but Casemiro proved that he has a place in this roster with his defensive skills and physical presence. If Real Madrid knock Roma out in the Champions League, Casemiro could be useful for some minutes in the Quarterfinals, that's for sure. He is the only midfielder who can play decent, physical defense in the whole roster.