MADRID, Spain -- Karim Benzema scored twice for Real Madrid in a 3-2 win against Levante with Eden Hazard making his La Liga debut while later Barcelona breezed to a 5-2 win against Valencia on Saturday with more magic from 16-year-old Ansu Fati.
Benzema's goals came just six minutes apart in the first half at a wet Santiago Bernabeu, before Casemiro put Real 3-0 up.
However Levante, who had won their previous two outings, made a fight of it in the second half as they pulled goals back through Borja Mayoral and Gonzalo Melero.
"The second half was more difficult for us, but the overall feeling was positive," said coach Zinedine Zidane, whose team had drawn their previous two games.
"We have got the three points and we were incredible in the first half, the way we played, the goals, the commitment. We just need to stay focused for the full 90 minutes."
Hazard also came off the bench for the final half-hour to make his first La Liga appearance after a thigh injury had interrupted the start of his Real career following his 100 million-euro ($110 million) move from Chelsea.
The Belgian could now start when Real go to Paris Saint-Germain for their opening Champions League game on Wednesday.
"I am happy for him," said Zidane. "He will do us good. He is not ready yet though -- he has only trained four times with the team. But when everyone is fit, when we have our rhythm, we will hurt teams."
Gareth Bale will also be available to face PSG after suspension kept him out here, but Sergio Ramos will be unable to play because of a European ban.
Zidane was also without the injured Luka Modric here. However, as well as Hazard, fellow summer signing Eder Militao came off the bench in the second half and the former Porto defender could start in Paris.
- Fati scores again -
Real would have won by a greater margin here had it not been for some inspired goalkeeping from Aitor Fernandez, who produced a stunning one-handed stop to keep out a Benzema shot midway through the first half.
Atletico Madrid retained their place at the top of the table, but only by one point from Real Madrid after their first defeat of the season when they lost 2-0 at Real Sociedad at the Basque club's newly refurbished stadium.
Later, former Real Madrid assistant coach Albert Celades replaced sacked Marcelino Garcia Toral as boss of Valencia who were routed 5-2 at Barcelona.
With Lionel Messi still out and watching from the stands it was left to Fati, the teenager from Guinea-Bissau, to take the plaudits.
Fati, who became the third youngest La Liga scorer when he came off the bench to net in a 2-2 draw at Osasuna this month, scored again in the second minute, before providing the assist for Frenkie de Jong's 7th minute goal.
The teenager earned his standing ovation from the Camp Nou crowd when he came off after an hour.
"It's not usual that on his first touch he scores, and on his second he sets up a goal," said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde.
"To get used to being a Barca player is work for anyone, even more so for a boy so young, but he's a balanced kid, he strikes me as being at ease."
Kevin Gameiro got Valencia off the mark but a brace from the fit again Luis Suarez after a contribution from Gerard Pique meant Max Gomez's injury time second for the visitors was purely academic.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
MADRID, Spain -- Gareth Bale responded in style to his critics with a fine finish as Real Madrid got back to winning ways with a 3-1 win at Real Sociedad on Sunday.
Borja Mayoral rewarded a bright start by Real with his first Madrid goal before Sociedad's Kevin Rodrigues scored at both ends to give the visitors a 2-1 half-time lead.
And Bale secured the three points as he sped past Rodrigues and dinked the ball over Geronimo Rulli for just his second goal of the season on the hour mark.
Victory moves the European champions up to fourth and within four points of leaders Barcelona.
Bale had received stinging criticism from the Spanish press and Madrid fans for his underwhelming displays in Ronaldo's absence in recent weeks as Real dropped points at home to Valencia and Levante.
"It's great to always score, but the most important thing was to get the three points for the team, get back on track and get back to winning ways," Bale told Spanish TV station Movistar.
"I just have to try to keep my head down and keep working hard and that's all I can do.
"I can't control what goes on, I can only control how hard I work on the pitch.
"You go through ups and downs in your career -- it is how you bounce back."
Without the suspended Cristiano Ronaldo, as he completed a five-game ban, and injured Karim Benzema, Zinedine Zidane handed 20-year-old Mayoral a shock start up front.
And the Frenchman's faith was rewarded inside 20 minutes when Mayoral swept home a loose ball with a classy finish from close range.
Mayoral's strike meant Madrid have now matched a world record of scoring in 73 consecutive games set by Pele's Santos in the 1960s.
- Crazy 60 seconds -
However, the visitors' joy lasted just nine minutes as Rodrigues levelled thanks to a blunder from Keylor Navas.
Rodrigues fired Alvaro Odriozola's cross towards goal on the volley, but the Real 'keeper should have made a comfortable stop rather than letting the ball slip under his grasp.
The match was then held up as a cameraman had to be stretchered off with his leg heavily strapped as he was injured from fans surging forward from a temporary stand behind the goal Sociedad were defending.
Once the game got back underway, a crazy 60 seconds for Rodrigues swung the match back in Madrid's favour.
The left-back was inches away from bagging a second when his looping effort came back off the bar.
However, Real broke straight up the other end and the unfortunate Rodrigues turned Mayoral's cross into his own net.
Bale sealed the points after the break by scoring for the fifth straight match at Anoeta as his pace took him beyond the Sociedad defence before coolly chipping over the advancing Rulli.
Earlier, Alaves sacked Argentine coach Luis Zubeldia after just four games in charge as they slipped to the bottom of La Liga with a 3-0 defeat at home to Villarreal.
Zubeldia failed to muster a point or even a solitary goal in his brief stint in charge with defeats to Leganes, Barcelona and Celta Vigo also sealing his fate.
By contrast, Sevilla's impressive start to the season continued with victory on the road at Girona to move up to second.
Luis Muriel's first goal for the club since completing a 20 million euro ($24 million) move from Sampdoria was enough for a 1-0 win.
And former Chelsea striker Loic Remy also bagged his first goal for Las Palmas to secure a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
