It is difficult to judge any professional team’s coaches or players, but on Sunday there were a few complaints and the need for some answers.  The Special One’s team was not so special against Levante.  Many fans were complaining at the very start - with Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Özil being left on the bench, being replaced by Kaká and Sami Khedira.   But there was no question that Ronaldo and Özil needed the rest - Ronaldo needed several stitches after the Dinamo Zagreb game and Özil was clearly exhausted after putting it all on the line in Croatia on Wednesday.  The questions came later.

The first 20 minutes of Sunday’s game were typical Madrid.  They felt out their opponent, had some good chances and played like the team that fans expect to see every week.  But errors started to occur and that back line (Marcelo, Carvalho, Pepe and Ramos) showed weakness once again.  That line with its experience and talent should be solid, but it’s not.  There truly should be no reason they are failing.  And they aren’t failing (most of the time), but the weakness is there.  There have been hints of it all season.  When Madrid presses forward, they leave themselves exposed in the back.  Naturally, a team like Madrid needs to press forward.  They have so much talent and fire power in their offense nothing less would be expected, but when any team does that, they face a big risk.  Saint Iker Casillas is good, but he is not infallible.

In this game, it was the 38^th minute that was the game changer…a weak (maybe) foul on Angel Di Maria wasn’t called and he retaliated.  Di Maria deserved a card for the retaliation, no question.  Did the Levante player who hit him in the face after it deserve one?  Yes, but it was a light slap.  It was Di Maria’s “acting” that he had taken a direct punch that caused everything to go wrong.  Khedira was wrong to shove a Levante player aside who was badgering Di Maria while on the ground (especially carrying a yellow card), but in his defense he was standing up for his teammate who he thought was mauled, who wasn’t.  His teammate was pretending for a referee who wasn’t paying attention and wasn’t buying it.  The referee had no choice.  A second yellow was given, and Khedira was off.

It was the start of the second half where many began to question Mourinho.  You are down a man.  Your back line has looked shaky for several games.  Plus you have a player on who has a yellow and has caused you to lose a second player.  How on earth do you decide to replace Benzema (who has had several good chances and kept his head)?  I understand wanting to get Ronaldo on, but for Benzema?  Suddenly there are finesse players (in Ronaldo and Kaká) playing when you need some muscle.  You have Alvaro Arbeloa and Lass Diarra on the bench.  Arbeloa has replaced Di Maria frequently and always works hard and admirably and Lass had expressed his desire to perform for Madrid.  How do you reward Di Maria’s bad behavior with leaving him on?  Going forward, he took at least 2 additional dives, which are not acceptable.  I love Madrid and their players, but my biggest complaint this week was their behavior, in particular, Di Maria’s. 

Madrid’s players aren’t alone in La Liga (or any league or that matter).  There were players on both sides in Sunday’s game that made a meal out of a simple nudge.  And there are plenty of players in the league who exhibit similar ridiculous behavior – see also Sergio Busquets ‘I’ve been shot and let me peek to see if everyone knows it’ evidence.  Unfortunately, in the 67^th minute, Madrid’s clock expired.  Iker had no chance.  The back line failed him and he was faced with a player who had time to pause, set himself and blast a shot.  Game, set, match.

After the game, Mourinho said that “the game became even once we were down to ten men.”  That may be true, but questions will still be asked.  For me, I want to know why Di Maria stayed on that field after causing the calamity.  He’s good, but really, Jose, you have some explaining to do!  We shall see what happens in the next game.  I, for one, hope Mourinho recognizes that you can’t reward bad acting.  This wasn’t Di Maria’s first offense, but I hope it will be his last this year.  Until next week...

A.J. Nelson can be found on Twitter @FootieObsessed