Match Preview for Barcelona v Levante
Barcelona will attempt to respond to back-to-back defeats when they welcome Levante to Camp Nou in Sunday’s La Liga contest.
Hansi Flick’s side sit second in the table, two points behind leaders Real Madrid, while Levante occupy 19th position and trail safety by seven points.
The Catalan outfit have endured a difficult spell, suffering a heavy Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg defeat to Atletico Madrid before losing 2-1 to Girona in the league. Those results have cost Barcelona top spot and increased the pressure ahead of this weekend’s fixture.
A return to home surroundings should offer encouragement. Barcelona have a strong historical record in this matchup, losing just six of their previous 46 meetings with Levante in all competitions and winning 33 of those encounters.
Levante arrive in poor form, having lost their last three league matches, most recently a narrow defeat to Villarreal. It has been a challenging campaign for the visitors, who have collected only 18 points from 24 matches and possess the weakest defensive record in the division, conceding 41 goals.
Team news for Barcelona v Levante
Barcelona have been boosted by the return to training of Marcus Rashford and Pedri, although neither is expected to start. Gavi has also resumed group work following a long-term knee injury, but Andreas Christensen remains unavailable.
Alejandro Balde is in contention to return at left-back, while Robert Lewandowski could lead the attack as Flick considers changes after the Girona defeat.
Levante are without Roger Brugue and Pablo Martinez due to knee injuries. Unai Elgezabal is a doubt, and Kervin Arriaga is suspended.
Etta Eyong is pushing for a place in the starting XI after consecutive appearances from the bench.
Expected line-ups for Barcelona v Levante
Barcelona: J Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, E Garcia, Balde; Fermin, De Jong; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Levante: Ryan; Toljan, De la Fuente, Moreno, Sanchez; Olasagasti, Raghouber; Tunde, Alvarez, Romero; Eyong
Where to watch Barcelona v Levante: TV channel, online stream
The match kicks off at 15:15 GMT will be shown live in the United Kingdom on Viaplay Sports or on La Liga TV.
Subscribers can also stream the game via the Viaplay platform on mobile devices, smart TVs and desktop.
The stats for Barcelona v Levante
- Barcelona have lost just six of their previous 46 meetings with Levante in all competitions
- The Catalan side won the reverse fixture 3-2 earlier this season
- Levante have conceded 41 goals in 24 league matches, the worst defensive record in the division
- Barcelona have suffered successive defeats in all competitions ahead of this match
- Recent meetings between the teams have produced 19 goals across the last four encounters
Prediction
Barcelona
3
–
1
Levante
Barcelona’s recent defeats increase the pressure, but their home record in this fixture and superior attacking options should be enough.
