Barcelona travel to face Levante in LaLiga tonight. Preview the champions’ perfect start, Levante’s home threat, key battles, and our match prediction.
Barcelona have started the defence of their LaLiga title at full speed, and Levante are the latest side standing in their way. Hansi Flick’s team have won all four of their league matches and their opening five games in all competitions, scoring freely along the way, while Levante have collected five points from their first four matches after returning to the top flight.
The champions travel to the Estadi Ciutat de València on Sunday, September 13, with Barcelona sitting at the top of the early LaLiga table. The match kicks off at 4:15 pm CEST, which is 7:45 pm IST, giving Levante a chance to turn their home ground into the toughest test Barcelona have faced so far this season.
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Can Levante Slow Barcelona’s Attack?
Levante have shown enough in their opening weeks to suggest they will not simply sit back and accept defeat. Their 5-2 victory over Real Betis on Matchday 3 demonstrated the attacking threat they can carry at home, while their goalless draw against Málaga last weekend showed that they can also stay disciplined when a match demands it.
The problem is that Barcelona arrives in completely different attacking form. They have scored 14 goals in their first four league matches, including a 5-0 demolition of Valencia at Mestalla last weekend, and they followed that result with another convincing Champions League win in midweek. That means Levante cannot afford to defend passively for long periods because eventually Barcelona’s movement should create spaces.
Levante’s best route into the game is therefore to make Barcelona uncomfortable without losing their attacking ambition. Quick transitions could be particularly important because Barcelona’s full-backs often push high, leaving opportunities to attack the spaces behind them before the champions can recover their shape.
Why Barcelona Are Heavy Favourites
Barcelona’s confidence is being driven not only by their results but also by the variety in which those results have arrived. Lamine Yamal scored twice against Valencia, while Fermín López, Raphinha, and Pedri also got on the scoresheet, showing that Flick does not need one player to carry the attack.
Raphinha has been especially dangerous at the start of the campaign. The Brazilian has moved into a central role at times and has already scored in Barcelona’s first five matches of the season, giving Levante another problem to solve alongside Yamal’s threat from wide areas.
Barcelona will have to manage the game without Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji, while Eric García is also unavailable, according to the latest team-news reports. Even so, Flick still has enough attacking and midfield options to maintain the team’s rhythm, particularly with Pedri capable of controlling the game from deeper positions.
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Where Could the Match Be Decided?
The key battle could take place on Levante’s flanks. Barcelona will want Yamal and Raphinha isolating the home side’s full-backs, because every successful one-on-one can force the defensive line to collapse and create another passing lane towards the penalty area.
Levante needs to prevent exactly that situation. Their midfielders will have to narrow the spaces around the box without abandoning the wings completely; otherwise, Barcelona’s wide players will have too much time to pick out runners. That balance will become harder to maintain the longer the game stays level.
Barcelona’s biggest danger could instead come from their own confidence. With the champions scoring almost at will, there is a temptation to push too many players forward, and Levante will be waiting for any opportunity to counter into the spaces left behind. The visitors should therefore control the match rather than simply chase another big score.
Prediction
Levante have enough home threat to create problems, but Barcelona’s current level makes them difficult to oppose. The champions have won every competitive match they have played this season, scored 14 times in their four league fixtures, and already shown that they can dismantle organised opponents without relying on one particular attacking route.
Levante’s best chance is to keep the game tight and force Barcelona to work for their opening. However, once the visitors find the first goal, their movement and individual quality should create further opportunities, especially if Levante are forced to push higher in search of an equaliser. Prediction: Levante 1-3 Barcelona. Can Levante produce another surprise at home, or will rampant Barcelona continue their perfect start and leave Valencia with another convincing victory? Let us know in the comments.
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