Levante’s Sergio Ballesteros (C) challenges Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema (L) and Sami Khedira during their match at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid on Saturday.SD-Agencies

REAL Madrid provisionally moved to within two points of league leader Barcelona by beating Levante 2-0 Saturday.

Karim Benzema scored Madrid’s sixth-minute opener after a great individual effort from Angel Di Maria, and Ricardo Carvalho sealed the win four minutes before halftime.

Madrid’s 12th victory in as many games at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium increases the pressure on Barcelona to beat Athletic Bilbao in a later match.

“We have done our job, and now it is their turn to respond,” Madrid defender Sergio Ramos said.

The win also extended coach Jose Mourinho’s nine-year unbeaten league run at home. The last time the former Chelsea and Inter Milan manager lost at his home ground was when FC Porto fell to Beira Mar 3-2 in February 2002.

The Portuguese manager had said before the game that his record was not important. He also played down the significance of closing the gap on Barca.

“The truth is that the pressure is on the team in second place, not the leader,” he said.

With the first leg of its Champions League round of 16 match against Lyon set for Tuesday, Mourinho rested midfielder Xabi Alonso, defender Pepe and striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who came on late as a substitute. Goalkeeper Antonio Adan also made his first start in Spain’s top division with Madrid captain Iker Casillas serving a one-game suspension.

Even though Madrid had routed Levante 8-0 in their last meeting in the Spanish capital in the Copa del Rey, Levante had drawn with Madrid in their first league fixture and won the second leg of their Copa del Rey match, making the minnow one of just three teams to beat Mourinho’s squad this campaign.

Luis Garcia’s team had also won a club record three straight games, but Madrid quickly banished any thoughts of an upset.

Benzema, who had lost his spot in the starting 11 with Adebayor’s arrival in January, wasted little time in putting Madrid ahead when Di Maria dribbled through three defenders before crossing for the France striker to redirect into goal.

“Our rival was organized in defense, but scoring early gave us more control of the game,” Mourinho said.

Cristiano Ronaldo grazed the top of the goal with a header in the 16th, and Levante goalkeeper Gustavo Munua made two excellent saves from shots by Di Maria and Benzema in the 22nd and 24th as the hosts pressed to put the game away.

But it was center back Carvalho who slid unmarked into the six-meter box to stab home Ronaldo’s free kick after Di Maria had provoked a foul on the left edge of the box.(SD-Agencies)